Francis  w 
ci  a derb ill 


JOHNA.SEAVERNS 


TUFTS    UNIVERSITY    I  IBRARIES 


3   9090   013   415   423 


pleasure 


ifottmiMry  Ubvtry 

Tufts  University 

School  of  Veterinary  Medkme 

200  Wertboro  Rd. 

North  Grafton.  V!A   0"?^6 


fronds  E.  Underbill 


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DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE 


OR.  THE  HARNESS  STABLE 
AND     ITS     APPOINTMENTS 


BY 


FRANCIS  T.  UNDERHILL 


'El  preincre  ct  laxas  scire!  dare  habeius" 


NEW    YORK 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1896 


Copyright,  1896, 

bt  d.  appleton  and  company. 


PREFACE. 


The  want  of  a  book  which  treats  directly  of 
the  proper  appointment  of  sporting  and  nonsport- 
ing  vehicles  has  prompted  the  preparation  of  this 
work. 

The  numerous  horse  shows  held  throughout  the 
country  have  developed  a  desire  for  information  among 
the  onlookers,  as  Avell  as  among  those  who  drive 
actively  and  passively,  without  the  possibility  of  sat- 
isfying it  except  through  the  medium  of  the  obliging 
friend  who,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  speaks  without 
knowledge. 

It  is  believed  also  that  this  desire  for  exact  infor- 
mation regarding  appointments,  horses,  harness  and 
harnessing,  bits  and  bitting,  the  stable,  and  other  kin- 
dred matters,  is  shared  by  a  very  large  number  of 
owners  of  one,  two,  or  three  horses  who  wish  their 
stables  and  equipages,  however  modest,  to  be  appoint- 
ed correctly  and  in  accordance  with  the  dictates  of 
practical  experience. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  say  that  the  author's 


jy  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

qualifications  for  this  task  include  not  only  twenty 
years  of  driving,  but  also  a  long  service  as  judge  at 
horse  shows,  which  has  furnished  unlimited  opportu- 
nities for  the  study  and  comparison  of  equipages.  The 
results  of  the  lessons  which  he  has  learned,  the  errors 
which  he  has  noted,  and  the  points  of  special  merit 
which  have  come  to  his  attention  while  passing  in 
review  thousands  of  equipages,  have  very  naturally 
furnished  unusual  advantages  for  the  preparation  of  a 
book  which  has  been  undertaken  with  some  hesitation, 
and  yet  in  a  belief  founded  on  experience  that  a  work 
of  this  kind  is  greatly  needed. 

In  the  endeavour  to  consider  each  subject  with- 
out partiality,  every  available  means  of  obtaining 
the  necessary  authentic  information  has  been  em- 
ployed. 

Differences  of  opinion  among  experts  have  neces- 
sitated extra  work  in  many  instances ;  in  such  cases  the 
standard  described  has  been  selected  from  the  authori- 
ties whose  arguments  seemed  most  reasonable  and 
practical. 

Without  attempting  the  laying  down  of  inflexible 
rules,  the  intent  has  been  to  suggest  rather  than  to 
dictate. 

Availability  for  the  illustration  of  such  points  as 
were  under  discussion  has  been  considered  in  some 
cases  at  the  expense  of  perfect  detail. 


PREFACE.  y 

The  sincere  thanks  of  the  author  arc  duo  to  the 
friends  wlio  have  enabled  him  to  secure  tlie  neces- 
sary photographs,  often  at  much  trouble  to  them- 
selves. 

F.  T.  U. 
New  York,  October  1,  1896. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

Pkeface       

PAGE 

iii 

I.— What  constitutes  "  good  form  ''  in  equipage 

1 

II. — General  appointments         .... 

4 

III. — Coaching       ..... 

8 

IV. — Four-in-hand         .... 

36 

V. — Tandem 

39 

VI. — HOKSES 

46 

VII. — Coachmen 

54 

VIII. — Harness  and  harnessing    . 

59 

IX. — Driving 

Y6 

X. — Liveries,  horse  clothing,  etc.     . 

84 

XL — The  stable 

90 

XII. — Suggestions  to  the  inexperienced 

102 

XIII. — Bits  and  bitting. 

112 

XIV. — The  use  of  bearing  reins  . 

118 

XV. — Carriages 

131 

INDEX    TO    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATK 

1.  Park  drag. 

2.  Park  drag  "  turned  out." 

3.  Servants  ascending  hind  seat 

of  park  drag. 

4.  Rear  view  of  park  drag. 

5.  Rear    view   of    road    coach, 

WITH  guard  in  livery. 

6.  Drag  or  coach  "  parked." 

7.  Private  egad  coach. 

8.  Public  road  coach. 

9.  Road  coach  "  turned  out." 

10.  Cockhorse  and  boy. 

11.  Public  coach  with  cockhorse. 

12.  The  slow  change. 

13.  The  fast  change. 

14.  Body  break  with  perch. 

15.  Body  break  without  peech. 

16.  Roof-seat  break. 

17.  Char  a  banc. 

18.  Skeleton  break. 

19.  Arrangement   of   poles    and 

bars  for  six  horses. 

20.  Cocking  cart. 

21.  Whitechapel  cart. 

22.  "  Going-to-cover  "  cart. 

23.  "  Spicy  team  "  cart. 

24.  Tandem  gig. 


PLATE 

25.  Sensational  goer  in  action. 

26.  A  brilliant  pair. 

27.  Runabout  harness. 

28.  Single  brougham  harness. 

29.  Single  victoria  harness. 

30.  Pair-horse     brougham     har- 

ness. 

31.  Lead  and  wheel  park  four-in- 

hand  HARNESS. 

32.  Four-in-hand     road     harness 

(wheel). 

33.  Foun-iN-HAND     road     harness 

(lead). 

34.  Tandem  harness. 

35.  Coachman    in    livery   (front 

and  rear  view). 

36.  Coachman    in    livery   (front 

and  rear  view). 

37.  Groom   in  livery  (front  and 

REAR  view). 

88.  Groom  in  livery  (front  and 

REAR  view). 

39.  Coachman  and  groom  in  great- 

coats. 

40.  Undress  liveries. 

41.  Horse  in  night  clothing. 

42.  Horse  in  dress  clothing. 


DRIVING   FOR   PLEASURE. 


43.  Washstand  in  a  large  stable. 

44.  Harness  room  in  town  stable. 

^g  U  U  U  Ik 

46.  Harness  room  in  large   sta- 

ble. 

47.  COACH-EOOM  interior. 

48. 

50.   Stable  interior. 

51. 

52. 

53. 

54. 

54 «      " 

55.  Burnishing  pole  chains. 

56.  Movable  saddle  rack. 

57.  Articles   necessary   for   the 

washstand. 

58.  Some  stable  necessaries. 

59.  Horse  with  bitting  harness. 

60.  Horse  with  dumb  jockey  and 

cavesson. 

61.  Mail  phaeton  "turned  out." 

62.  Rear  view  of  mail  phaeton. 

63.  Demi-mail  phaeton. 

64.  Stanhope  phaeton. 

65.  Spider  phaeton. 

66.  George  IV  phaeton. 

67.  Peter's  lady's  phaeton. 

68.  Four-wheeled     dogcart      or 

gamecart. 

69.  Tilbury  (side  view). 

70.  Tilbury  (rear  view). 

71.  Stanhope  gig. 

72.  Hooded  gig  or  buggy. 

73.  "  Park  gate  "  gig. 


PLATE 

74.  "Very  spicy"  gig. 

75.  Skeleton  gig. 

76.  Paeis  lady's  chaise. 

77.  Village  cart. 

78.  High  skeleton  gig. 

79.  Curricle. 

80.  Cabeiolet  '■  turned  out." 

81.  Hansom  cab. 

82.  Hansom  cab. 

83.  Breaking  cart  and  harness. 

84.  Jaunting  car. 

85.  Lady''s  brougham. 

86.  Bachelor's  brougham. 

87.  Rear  view  of  brougham. 

88.  Brougham  (Peter's  model). 

89.  A  modern  brougham. 

90.  Brougham   (front    and    rear 

view). 

91.  "So-called"   cabriolet 

"  turned  out." 

92.  Landau. 

93.  "  C  "  or  eight  spring  victoria. 

94.  Coupe  d'Orsay. 

95.  Caleche. 

96.  Chariot  d'Orsay. 

97.  Landau  grande  Daumont. 

98.  Omnibus. 

99.  Omnibus  "  turned  out." 

100.  Hungarian  phaeton. 

101.  Modern  trotting  sulky  with 

pneumatic  tires. 

102.  Skeleton  wagon  with  pneu- 

matic tires. 

103.  Single  roadster. 

104.  Road  pair  "turned  out." 

105.  Side-bar  road  wagon. 


INDEX  TO  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


XI 


PLATE 

PLATE 

lUO. 

IvOAD       WALiOXS      (front       AND 

116. 

REAR    view). 

117. 

107. 

Light      I'OUR-wheeled      dog- 

118. 

cart  (side  bar). 

119. 

108. 

Surrey. 

109. 

Lady's  phaeton. 

120. 

110. 

Extension  top  phaeton. 

121. 

111. 

Six-seat  rockaway. 

112. 

Coupe  rockaway. 

122. 

113. 

Wagoneit'e. 

114. 

Wagonette  with  pair. 

123. 

115. 

Depot  wagon. 

124. 

KuNABOUT  "  TURNED  OUT." 

Buckboard. 

Errand  wagon. 

Four-seat  slat-side  phae- 
ton. 

Six-seat  slat-side  phaeton. 

Six-seat  beach  or  hunting 
phaeton. 

A  SMART  "  lady's  COUNTRY 
TRAP." 

Vis-a-vis. 

Vis-A-vis  "  turned  out." 


DRIVma   FOR   PLEASURE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT    CONSTITUTES    "  GOOD    FORM "    IN    EQUIPAGE. 

Simplicity  of  outline,  appropriateness,  consistency, 
harmony,  and  good  judgment  in  the  selection  of 
vehicles,  form  the  foundation  of  what  may  be  termed 
good  form. 

The  selection  of  vehicles  is  mentioned,  because 
that  is  practically  the  basis  of  operation.  Each 
vehicle  demands  consistency  in  the  choice  of  its 
horses,  servants,  harness,  livery,  etc.,  and  simphcity 
in  its  design  and  treatment,  resulting  in  that  much- 
to-be-desired  harmony  of  the  whole. 

A  good  carriage  is  intended  for  many  years  of 
hard  use,  and  not  to  be  thrown  aside,  like  a  woman's 
gown,  in  obedience  to  the  dictates  of  any  and  every 
whim  of  so-called  fashion.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
a  Avell-kept  harness  ;  and  all  this  goes  to  show  how 
important  it  is  that  the  first  choice  should  be  care- 
fully made. 


2  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

Of  course,  there  are  many  incidental  details  which 
are  factors,  and  which  are  liable  to  some  slioht  clianoe 
from  time  to  time.  The  silk  hat,  for  example,  al- 
though looked  upon  with  favour  to-day,  may  be  con- 
sidered absurd  ten  years  hence.  An  avoidance  of 
extremes  in  all  such  trifles  will  keep  one  within  limits 
for  many  a  long  day. 

One  occasionally  sees  an  equipage  belonging  to 
elderly  people ;  the  carriage  evidently  an  old  one,  but 
in  good  condition  and  on  good  lines ;  the  servants 
respectable-looking  men  past  middle  age  ;  the  horses 
sleek  and  well  cared  for,  and  possibly  adorned  with 
flowing  tails — the  whole  efl'ect  savouring  of  what  one 
might  call  the  days  gone  by.  Such  an  establishment 
is  in  far  better  form  for  its  purpose  than  one  which 
shows  in  its  every  detail  that  it  has  but  recently 
come  into  existence. 

It  is  unfortunate  that  we  have  so  few  examples 
of  this  type  in  America,  but  the  fact  is,  very  few  of 
our  coach-builders  of  a  past  generation  approached 
the  foreign-built  carriages  in  design,  so  that  almost 
all  the  good  carriages  of  that  period  were  imported, 
and  the  importations  were  not  numerous ;  besides 
which,  the  then  condition  of  our  roads  and  streets 
was  not  favourable  to  heavy  vehicles. 

Young  people,  of  course,  must  be  equally  consistent, 
and  select  carriages  somewhat   suited    to   their  years. 


WHAT  CONSTITUTES  "GOOD   FORM"   IN  EQUIPAGE.  3 

They  should  be  more  tliorough  also,  for,  while  a  slight 
deficiency  in  the  grandfather's  carriage  might  be  over- 
looked, such  leniency  can  not  be  extended  to  the 
younger  generation,  for  they  have  advantages  which 
their  grandfathers  did  not  possess. 

Money,  that  god  which  seems  to  be  so  much  wor- 
shipped to-day,  has  a  tendency  to  incline  its  possessors 
toward  a  display  and  flashiness  in  equipage  which  is 
distinctly  bad  form. 

To  this  source  can  be  traced  most  of  the  shoddy 
'turnouts"  which  constitute  far  too  large  a  propor- 
tion of  our  private  establishments.  Such  people  can 
give  their  pockets  quite  as  much  relief,  and  at  the 
same  time  contribute  to  their  pleasure  and  amusement, 
by  running  an  extensive  stable  and  doing  it  smartly. 

Americans  are  known  as  a  most  adaptive  race,  and 
when  once  the  appreciation  of  a  good  thing  is  incul- 
cated, the  improvement  achieved  is  extraordinary.  So 
let  it  be  with  good  form  in  equipage. 


CHAPTER   II. 

GENERAL    APPOINTMENTS. 

The  preceding  chapter  is  designed  to  point  out 
the  necessity  of  adhering  to  simphcity,  combined  with 
as  much  symmetry  of  outhne  as  is  possible,  in  every 
variety  of  carriage. 

This  simphcity  shoukl  be  carried  out  in  the  har- 
ness, hvery,  etc.  The  owner,  if  his  means  allow,  can 
produce  a  brilliant  effect  by  means  of  uncommonly 
good  horseflesh.  What  can  look  worse  than  a  poorly 
designed  and  gaudily  painted  brougham  with  enormous, 
fantastically  shaped  lamps  resembling  those  used  on  the 
Lord  Mayor's  coach  of  yore  ?  The  whole  tawdry  effect 
is  generally  emphasized  by  an  elaborate  harness  replete 
with  enormous  monograms,  and  partially  hiding  a  pair 
of  "screws"  which  would  disgrace  a  street  car. 

The  contrast  between  such  an  equipage,  and  the 
perfectly-turned-out  brougham,  which  is  so  quiet  in 
design  and  treatment  as  to  be  almost  unnoticeable,  is 
very  great.  In  this  case  the  harness  is  plain  but 
handsomely  made  ;  the  servants  are  clad  in  smart,  well- 
fitting    and  well-j[)ut-on   liveries ;  they  carry  themselves 


GENERAL  APPOINTMENTS.  5 

with  an  air  of  pride,  and  seem  to  feel  that  the  effect  of 
their  e(iiiipage  depends  on  them — as  in  a  great  measure 
it  does. 

With  sucli  appointments,  a  carriage  will  at  least 
look  respectable  Avhen  drawn  by  even  an  ordinary 
pair ;  and  when  the  horses  are  really  fine  and  thor- 
oughly adapted  to  their  work,  the  eifect  produced  will 
compel  the  admiration  of  the  intelligent  on-looker, 
although  in  most  cases  he  will  not  know  what  attracts 
him.  This,  then,  is  the  ideal  which  should  guide  those 
who  wish  to  turn  out  really  well. 

The  colouring  of  a  carriage  has  much  to  do  with 
its  general  effect.  Plain  black,  and  the  dark  shades  of 
green,  blue,  and  claret,  produce  the  best  results  in  car- 
riages for  town  use  of  the  non-sporting  class.  Bright- 
coloured  wheels  and  undercarriages  should  never  be 
attempted  unless  the  owner  be  more  than  ordinarily 
well  versed  in  the  remainder  of  the  appointments.  A 
departure  such  as  this  requires  the  extreme  of  severity 
in  treatment  to  make  it  pass  muster. 

In  England,  of  course,  where  family  colours  have 
been  in  use  for  generations,  the  conditions  are  some- 
Avhat  different,  but  the  family  whose  colours  are  quiet 
is  to  be  congratulated. 

Unless  a  wheel  is  of  good  design,  a  plain  colour 
will  emphasize  its  defects.  In  fact,  it  is  often  by  this 
means  that   the  uncultivated  eye  is  brought  to  distin- 


6  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

guish  between  the  good  and  the  bad  in  carriage 
designing. 

A  well-made  harness  is  often  spoiled  by  excessive 
ornamentation — gorgeous  monograms  or  crests  cover- 
ing every  available  surface.  Oftentimes  the  same  deco- 
rations reduced  one  half  in  size  would  look  perfectly 
proper. 

For  Avet-weather  driving,  the  smartest  possible  har- 
ness is  made  of  black  leather  throughout,  with  the 
metal  parts  covered.  Of  course,  such  a  harness  as 
this  must  be  well  designed  and  appropriately  used. 

Good  liveries  are  essential  to  a  well-appointed 
equipage ;  and  yet  no  department  is  as  much  neg- 
lected in  this  country.  When  one  has  seen  the  same 
carriage,  well  turned  out  in  other  respects,  either  im- 
]U'oved  or  ruined  by  smart  or  slouchy  servants,  he 
w^ill  appreciate  the  point. 

The  very  position  of  the  servants  contributes  largely 
toward  the  general  hnish.  Put  a  slouchv  mustached 
coachman  on  the  box  of  the  best  generally  ap])ointed 
carriage  procurable,  and  its  good  points  go  for  naught. 
No  private  coachman  wears  a  mustache  or  beard, 
and  the  presence  of  such  can  invariably  be  considered 
an  indication  of  ignorance  of  his  calling.  Such  a  man 
may  be  a  good  strapper,  and  in  a  general-utility  place 
might  be  satisfactory ;  but  he  should  never  be  em- 
ployed as  a  coachman. 


GENERAL  APPOINTMENTS.  7 

The  town  coachman  must  be  a  man  of  experience, 
and  reasonable  Avages  paid  to  such  a  man  will  often 
save  a  large  expenditure  in  paint  and  repairs.  The 
thorough  coachman  can  be  distinguished  at  a  glance, 
and  it  is  unfortunate  that  they  are  so  few  and  far 
between. 


CHAPTER  III. 


COACHING. 


Ah,  what  a  charm  that  word  has  to  the  man 
who  is  really  an  enthusiast !  It  requires  a  knowledge 
of  the  highest  branches  of  the  art  of  horsemanship 
and  equipage  to  insure  a  satisfactory  result.  It  is  a 
sport  that  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  days  of  the 
old  English  stage  and  mail  coaches,  before  the  intro- 
duction of  the  railway. 

In  those  days,  a  number  of  amateurs,  whose  names 
are  familiar  to  all  readers  of  coaching  history,  were 
in  the  habit  of  driving  some  of  the  regular  coaches 
Avhenever  the  opportunity  offered,  and  educated  as 
they  Avere  under  the  very  best  professional  whips  of 
the  then  time,  they  acquired  a  practical  apprecia- 
tion of  the  points  necessary  to  a  master  of  the 
art. 

When  we  consider  to-day  the  speed  at  Avhich  some 
of  the  fast  mails  were  run,  we  must  realize  that  the  men 
who  drove  them  thoroughly  understood  their  business. 
The  Edinburgh  mail,  for  instance,  ran  four  hundred 
miles   in   forty    hours,    including   stoppages.      At    first 


^ 


I 


COACHING.  9 

olance,  an  average  of  ten  miles  an  hour  will  not  seem 
a  very  fast  rate ;  but  when  we  appreciate  that  the  time 
occupied  in  changing  horses,  in  stopping  for  meals,  etc., 
is  included  in  the  schedule — which  means  that  the 
coaches  must  have  maintained  a  running  speed  of  prac- 
tically fourteen  miles  an  hour,  and  that  over  roads 
which,  though  good,  were  far  inferior  to  the  English 
roads  of  to-day,  through  storm  and  sunshine,  by  day 
and  night,  with  nothing  to  steady  the  coach  on  a  down- 
ward incline  but  the  wheelers  and  a  skid — we  are  con- 
vinced that  those  coachmen  were  by  right  the  past 
masters  from  whom  the  disciples  of  coaching  must 
acquire  a  great  portion  of  their  knowledge. 

When  the  days  of  public  coaches  were  at  an 
end,  and  most  of  the  famous  professional  whips 
were  forced  to  give  up  the  "  bench,"  or  to  assume  a 
more  modest  one  than  that  of  the  road  coach,  the 
amateurs  took  up  the  ball  of  coaching  enthusiasm 
and  kept  it  rolling ;  and  it  is  in  a  great  measure 
through  them  that  we  are  enabled  to-day  to  be  almost 
in  touch  Avith  many  of  the  fiimous  old  traditions  of 
the  road. 

Some  portion  of  their  knowledge  and  experience 
has  been  transmitted  by  means  of  the  pen,  but  in  a 
very  great  measure  the  niceties  of  the  art  have  been 
passed  down  through  the  medium  of  the  real  en- 
thusiast. 


10  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

A  feAV — a  very  few — individuals  in  each  succeeding 
generation,  have  gone  into  the  work  Avith  a  thorough 
appreciation  of  its  nice  points.  They  have,  as  young- 
men,  given  the  closest  attention  to  the  instruction 
afforded  them  by  the  representatives  of  the  art  in 
the  generation  previous,  and  in  due  course  have 
themselves  become  the  mentors  of  the  rising  genera- 
tion. 

It  is  only  within  the  past  quarter  of  a  century 
that  Americans  have  fallen  into  line  in  the  pursuit  of 
this  sport.  There  were,  of  course,  many  gentlemen  in 
this  country  long  prior  to  that  time  who  derived  a 
certain  amount  of  pleasure  from  four-in-hand  driving, 
but  very  few  acquired  what  might  be  termed  "mas- 
terly coachmanship." 

Although  it  may  be  very  justly  contended  that 
many  of  the  little  fads  which  are  advocated  by 
experts  of  the  school  of  to-day  do  not  in  any  way 
contribute  directly  to  the  actual  improvement  of  driv- 
ing, they  nevertheless  serve  to  interest,  and  thereby 
keep  the  mind  of  the  coachman  more  thoroughly 
concentrated  on  a  proper  indulgence  in  and  perpetu- 
ation of  the  sport. 

Outsiders  often  criticise  the  copying  in  our  coaches 
of  a  vehicle  which  belonged  to  more  primitive  days. 
They  forget,  however,  that  although  the  outlines  of  the 
vehicles  are  similar,  those  of  to-day   have  been  enor- 


a. 


5 


COACHING.  1 1 

mously  improved  by  means  of  the  increased  skill  in 
coaclibuildiug. 

The  modern  park  drag  or  road  coach  can  not  be 
said  to  be  adapted  to  use  on  many  of  our  sandy 
country  roads,  and  in  districts  where  such  prevail  a 
vehicle  better  suited  to  the  purpose  must  perforce  be 
used.  But  be  it  remembered,  also,  that  sandy  roads 
themselves  are  gradually  becoming  more  and  more  a 
relic  of  the  past. 

There  may  be  said  to  be  two  methods  of  indulging 
in  the  sport  of  coaching  to-day. 

First,  the  driving  of  a  coach  or  drag  simply  for 
the  amusement  of  the  oAvner  and  his  friends. 

Second,  the  running  of  a  "  pubhc "'  or  road  coach. 

The  gentlemen's  drag  differs  quite  considerably  in 
many  points  from  the  road  coach,  and  the  rules  of  the 
coaching  club,  which  are  quoted  herewith,  point  out 
the  distinctions. 

THE   PARK   DRAG. 

The  park  drag,  as  shown  in  Plate  I,  is  an  excel- 
lent type  of  a  proper  vehicle.  Plate  II  shows  the 
turning  out  of  the  same.  The  drag  in  this  case  lacks 
a  little,  in  that  mail  axles  take  the  place  of  Colhnge's ; 
the  latter  savour  a  little  more  of  the  refinement  which 
belongs  to  the  park  drag.  The  harness  is  described 
in  the  chapter  on  Harness  and  Harnessing,  and  needs 


12  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

no   further  comment.     This  may    also    be  said    of  the 
Hveries,  etc.  « 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  when  a  drag  is 
brought  to  the  owner's  door  or  is  on  exhibition  the 
lazybacks  of  the  gammon  and  back  gammon— viz., 
the  front  and  back  roof  seats — should  be  turned  down, 
and  remain  so  in  case  the  only  passenger  is  carried 
on  the  box  seat  beside  the  coachman. 

Plate  III  shows  the  servants  in  the  position  of 
ascending  the  hind  seat,  and  is  simply  intended  to 
impress  the  necessity  of  having  one's  grooms  carry 
out  a  certain  uniformity  of  action.  (The  costume  of 
the  coachman  in  this  picture  demands  an  apology.) 

Plates  IV  and  V  show  the  distinction  between  the 
rear  view  of  a  park  drag  and  that  of  a  road  coach, 
and  it  is  from  this  point  of  view  that  the  difference 
is  probably  most  noticeable.  The  hind  boot  in  the 
park  drag  is  hinged  at  the  bottom,  so  that,  when 
dropped,  it  forms  a  table  for  the  serving  of  lunch- 
eon, etc. ;  in  the  road  coach  it  is  hinged  on  the  oflP 
side,  to  allow  of  the  guard  having  easy  access  to  it 
from  the  near  hind  step  when  the  coach  is  in  motion. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  skid  is  hung  on  the  off 
side,  Avhile  in  England  it  is  carried  on  the  near  side. 
This  change  has  been  made  necessary  by  the  Amer- 
ican rules  of  the  road,  which  oblige  one  to  turn  to 
the  right. 


a. 


COACHING,  13 

And  so  one  mioht  go  on  througli  the  various  dis- 
tinctions which  arc  carefully  ])ortrayed  in  the  jihoto- 
graphs,  but  such  a  minute  description  would  be  ver- 
bose and  unnecessary. 

It  is  the  aim  of  eveiy  good  coachman  to  have  a 
sound  argument  in  support  of  all  the  little  technicali- 
ties, and  it  may  afford  the  reader  interested  in  the 
subject  some  amusement  to  examine  in  detail  the 
differences  which  exist  between  the  park  drag  and 
the  road  coach,  and,  after  analyzing  them,  to  draw 
his  own  conclusions. 

Plate  YI  shows  the  drag  "parked"  for  the  races 
or  similar  use.  The  coach  should  always  be  in  this 
position  when  the  horses  are  out,  except  when  in  the 
coach  room. 


THE    PKIVATE   ROAD   COACH. 

Plate  VII  show^s  a  park  drag  as  turned  out  for 
private  road  use,  or,  in  other  words,  for  use  in  the 
country  or  on  coaching  trips. 

The  servants  Avear  their  stable  clothes,  as  full 
liveries  are  not  at  all  adapted  to  such  a  purpose  ;  the 
harness  is  of  the  road  order,  and  it  is  customary  to 
attach  a  luggage  rail  to  the  roof,  so  that  any  luggage, 
rugs,  etc.,  may  be  safely  carried  there.  The  horn  case 
is  strapped  to  the  rail  on  the  oft'  side,  so  that  it  can  be 

3 


14  DEIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

conveniently  within  the  reach  of  the  head  groom,  who 
is  generally  the  one  to  sound  it  in  case  of  need.  (By 
the  Avay,  one  never  speaks  of  "blowing"  or  "blowing 
on  "  the  horn.)  This  is  not  necessary,  however,  for  it  is 
generally  wisest  to  carry  the  horn  in  the  basket,  mouth- 
piece up,  most  horns  having  shifting  mouthpieces  which 
are  liable  to  slip  oif  when  the  horn  is  put  in  the  case, 
and  for  this  reason  the  case  is  really  only  intended 
as  a  protection  to  the  horn  when  in  the  coach  house. 
The  photograph  also  shows  the  position  of  the  loin 
cloths,  and  is  equally  proper  to  the  road  coach.  (The 
cloth  on  the  olf  wheeler  is  improperly  folded.) 


KOAD   COACHING. 

Plates  VIII  and  IX  show  very  good  examples  of  the 
genus  road  coach.  As  in  the  case  of  the  park  drag, 
all  its  essentials  are  described  in  the  coaching-club 
rules  and  \y\\\  need  no  further  comment. 

Plates  X  and  XI  show  the  cockhorse  "alone"  and 
"put  to."  The  details  are  sufficiently  clear  in  the 
photograph  to  require  no  additional  description.  The 
harness  would  be  somewhat  more  proper  were  the 
hames  without  terrets,  and  were  the  bridle  provided 
with  blinkers  and  more  on  the  harness  order.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  the  bar  is  connected  with  the  jiole  head 
by  a  rope  which  has  a  solid  eye  in  one  end  and  a  spring 


n  t 


Plate  /K.-  Rear  l^ii-w  of  Park  Drag. 


COACHING.  15 

cockeye  in  the  other.  The  end  witli  tlie  eye  is  slipped 
over  the  pole  hook  and  rests  on  top  of  that  of  the 
leaders'  main  bar  ;  the  other  end  is  theii  passed  between 
the  leaders  and  throngh  a  large  ring  suspended  by 
straps  from  their  kidney  link  rings,  after  which  it  is 
snapped  in  the  eye  of  the  cockhorse's  bar. 

A  few  suggestions  as  to  the  necessities  in  the 
'•  ])utting  on "  of  a  road  coach  may  not  be  amiss. 
We  will  suppose  the  route  to  have  been  selected,  the 
distance,  variety  of  the  road,  etc.,  ascertained. 

The  usual  allowance  for  a  well-run  road  coach  is 
one  horse  to  the  mile,  which  allowance  should  nui 
the  same  coach  both  ways  on  a  short  route,  and  a 
coach  each  way  on  a  long  one.  <^n  a  thirty-mile 
route  thirty  horses  should  take  the  coach  sixty  miles. 
On  a  route  of  the  above  length  it  is  customary  to 
rnn  each  way  daily  with  the  same  coach.  The  proper 
staging  of  the  horses  is  a  very  important  considera- 
tion, and  one  on  which  it  will  be  difficult  to  lay  too 
much  stress. 

The  horseman  will  realize  at  once  that  the  mere 
otfhand  blocking  out  of  the  road  into  stages  of  a 
given  number  of  miles  each  is  out  of  the  question, 
lie  must  first  go  over  the  ground  carefully  and  find 
the  character  of  the  roadbed,  whether  sandy  or  hard, 
what  portions  are  hilly  and  Avhat  are  level,  and  par- 
ticularly what  sort  of  stabling  he  can  get,  and  ^vhere. 


Ifi  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

On  the  latter  point,  and  on  the  character  of  the 
employees  in  charge  of  the  horses,  the  smooth  running 
of  the  coach  is  greatly  dependent.  Oftentimes,  when 
the  going  is  deep  and  the  coach  heavily  loaded,  the 
horses  are  called  upon  to  extra  exertion  in  order  to 
make  the  time — a  point,  by  the  way,  Avhicli  is  of  the 
utmost  importance  if  the  coach  is  to  be  well  done. 
When  the  tired  team  is  taken  to  the  stable  the  horses 
should  have  the  best  and  most  conscientious  of  care. 
A  draughty  or  badly  ventilated  stable  is  therefore  to 
be  avoided  as  far  as  possible,  and  great  pains  should 
be  taken  in  the  selection  of  the  horse  keepers.  This 
branch  of  the  work  will  probably  be  productive  of 
more  annovance  than  anv  other,  for  it  is  exceedinolv 
difficult  to  secure  a  number  of  reliable  men,  especially 
w^here  the  coach  is  to  be  run  for  onlv  a  few  weeks. 

Probably  there  is  no  coachman  of  experience  but 
has  at  some  time  arrived  at  one  of  his  changes  to  hud 
the  team  either  absent  or  looking  as  if  they  had  not 
been  groomed,  their  harness  unkempt,  etc.  If  the  men 
turned  up  at  all,  they  were  probably  stupid  with  liquor, 
necessitating  their  immediate  discharge.  Such  e\n- 
sodes  show  the  absolute  necessity  of  having  a  re- 
sponsible ])erson  go  over  the  route  every  day  some 
little  time  after  the  coach,  to  see  that  the  work  is 
pro])erly  attended  to.  If  the  ])roprietors  of  the  coach 
can   not  do  so — which  is  l)y  far  the  best  plan — it  will 


u   :«RA^t'^v;^^;v---«ittK>yN 


COACHING.  17 

he  necessary  for  them  to  employ  a  very  competent  liead 
groom,  wlio  sliould  be  supplied  with  a  smart  hack  or 
so,  as  a  means  of  conveyance. 

Directly  horses  are  neglected  they  begin  to  run 
down,  and  when  this  happens,  the  running  of  a  public 
coach  ceases  to  be  amusing.  In  a  thirty-mile  route 
there  are  five  changes,  with  six  horses  and  two  men  to 
each  change  ;  any  one  with  experience  in  such  matters 
knows  that  these  men  need  looking  after. 

Some  coachmen  think  it  a  good  plan  to  have  the 
head  man  at  each  change  go  through  to  the  next 
change  with  his  team,  riding  inside  the  coach,  the 
object  being  to  hold  one  person  responsible  for  the  care 
of  certain  horses  and  harness,  which  it  is  impossible  to 
do  where  the  horses  are  shifted  from  man  to  man. 
Others  object  to  this  arrangement  on  account  of  the 
extra  weight  to  be  carried ;  so  the  proper  method 
to  be  pursued  becomes  a  matter  purely  of  individual 
opinion. 

Now  to  discuss  the  lavinir  out  of  the  stao-es  on  a 
day's  run  of  thirty  miles  and  return.  On  the  basis  of 
one  horse  to  the  mile  and  six  horses  to  each  team,  we 
find  we  have  five  teams  among  which  to  distribute  the 
work.  It  may  do  equally  well  to  have  the  teams  of 
five  horses  each,  thus  giving  us  six  teams  ;  but  when 
this  is  done  the  same  stamp  of  horse  must  be  used 
throughout,   to    allow   of  shifting   into   either   lead  or 


18  DRIVING   FOE   PLEASURE. 

"wheel.  Tlie  first  arrangement  Avill  generally  be  })ref- 
erable,  as  it  allows  of  an  extra  wheeler  and  leader  to 
each  four — or,  in  other  -words,  allows  each  horse  to 
rest  one  day  in  three. 

As  a  general  rule  it  will  be  found  well  to  give 
the  team  at  the  "  luncheon  or  middle  stage,"  Ave  will 
call  it,  the  lightest  work,  and  the  home  team  the 
longest  road,  for  nothing  is  harder  on  a  "cold-blooded 
one  "  than  to  start  him  again  soon  after  he  has  "  cooled 
out "  of  a  profuse  sweat.  In  fact,  if  the  road  admits  of 
so  doing,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  give  the  team  on  the 
middle  stage  only  one  long  run  daily,  making  practi- 
cally only  three  teams  on  the  road  which  run  double 
stages,  the  other  two  doing  one  long  stage  each.  It 
may  be  found  necessary,  on  some  extra  sandy  or  hilly 
stage,  to  provide  a  cockhorse,  and  this  can  be  made 
a  not  unattractive  feature  of  the  drive.  Sometimes  five 
miles'  run  over  a  sandy  road  is  a  good  bit  harder  than 
seven  over  a  fine  one,  and  judgment  must  therefore  be 
called  into  play  to  adjust  the  work  properly.  A  stage 
of  level  macadamized  road  is  hard  on  a  team,  because 
they  are  generally  put  right  through  without  a 
breather;  but  Avith  a  fcAv  slight  hills  they  will  get  con- 
siderable relief,  and  Avill  travel  more  easily  to  them- 
selves in  consequence.  All  these  ])oints  should  be  borne 
in  mind  in  the  lavinii'  out  of  the  stages,  as  also  in  the 
making    of  the   time   schedule.     This   schedule  should 


••.1ft:  fens  4fl 


PLile  yi :   Dug  or  Coach  "Parked.' 


COACHING.  19 

he  made  up  most  carefully,  bearing  in  mind  that  a 
coach  loaded  Avith  passengers  is  a  very  different  vehicle 
from  the  light  wagon  or  break,  which  is  generally  used 
in  the  preliminary  drive  over  the  road,  and  allowance 
should  be  made  accordingl3^ 

Ten  miles  an  hour,  including  changes,  is  quite  a 
good  round  ]Kice  when  maintained  for  thirty  miles  with 
a  heavy  ]iassenger  coach,  and  each  additional  mile  adds 
up  a  ]iercentage  of  wear  and  tear  on  the  horses  far 
greater  than  an  inexperienced  ]ierson  begins  to  realize. 
Besides  this,  the  difficulty  of  maintaining  such  time  over 
our  average  country  roads  day  after  day,  in  good  or 
bad  weather,  is  generally  unappreciated  by  the  tyro. 
Even  the  coachman  Avho  drives  exceedingly  well,  but 
is  without  "road"  experience,  will  do  wisely  to  run  his 
first  coach  rather  imder  than  over  an  average  pace  of 
ten  miles  an  hour.  It  is  customary  to  allow  about  five 
minutes  for  changing  horses.  The  actual  time  con- 
sumed, however,  should  be  less  than  this. 

We  will  now  take  up  the  subject  of  the  necessary 
horses. 

This  depends  somewhat  on  the  means  available  for 
the  purpose.  The  stamp  that  Avill  be  found  most  serv- 
iceable range  from  fifteen  one  to  sixteen  hands  high, 
and  weigh  from  one  tliOTisand  to  eleven  hundred  and 
fiftv  pounds  Avhen  in  condition  for  work.  They  should 
possess  a  good  deal  of  quality,  for  the  Indl-necked  West- 


20  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

ern  horses  are  mostly  underbred  brutes  wliicli  will  lie 
ou  the  coachman's  hands  directly  they  are  in  the  least 
leg  weary.  The  stamp  of  horse  that  just  misses  being 
good  enough  for  a  iiunter  will  generally  answer  the 
purpose,  and  should  be  bought  for  a  reasonable  sum. 
It  is  well  to  purchase  horses  which  are  nearly  of 
a  size,  for  in  this  case  it  is  much  easier  to  mate  up 
the  various  teams  satisfactorily  as  to  temperament, 
etc.  One  often  sees  road  teams  put  together  on  their 
appearance  alone,  regardless  of  temperament ;  this 
method  undoubtedly  gives  the  coachman  much  more 
practice,  for  it  takes  a  good  one  to  keep  an  uneven 
team  up  to  its  work.  If  Mr.  (xoodcoachman  had  the 
putting  of  such  teams  together,  however,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  his  lack  of  judgment  in  so  doing  should  not 
outweigh  his  good  driving  from  a  critic's  point  of  view. 
One  of  the  greatest  pleasures  in  the  game  of  puljlic 
coaching  lies  in  the  buying,  making  up,  and  putting 
together  of  the  necessary  horses.  Situated  as  most  per- 
sons are  in  this  country,  their  horses  must  generally  be 
purchased  in  the  city  markets,  and  they  are  in  the 
main  "  green  "  or  crudely  broken.  This  makes  it  an 
absolute  necessitv  to  be2:in  buving  the  horses  not  less 
than  two  months  before  it  is  intended  to  put  the  coach 
on  the  road.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  r///  the  horses 
bought  at  least  a  month  before  the  regular  Avork  be- 
gins, but  they  must  be  kept  going  all  the  time  ;  sorted 


u 


•a 


« 

£ 


COACHING.  21 

out  and  put  too'cther,  so  tlint  when  the  coach  stai'ts 
the  pi'oprietors  are  quite  fauiihar  with  their  cattle,  and 
everythiiii>-  will  run  smoothly.  The  work  of  breakins^ 
in  the  horses  will  be  of  l>enelit  to  the  coachman  too, 
for  very  few  men  can  tool  a  loaded  coach  sixty  oi" 
seventy  miles,  with  several  changes,  when  they  them- 
selves  are  not  in  condition. 

About  three  Aveeks  before  the  coach  is  to  start,  the 
horses  should  be  measured  for  their  coUars,  and  each 
horse  should  have  his  collar  numbered  to  correspond 
with  his  hoof  brand  (the  number  assigned  to  him  and 
branded  on  his  hoof).  This  collar  should  be  left  on  the 
horse  when  he  is  cooling  out,  to  avoid  sore  shoulders, 
and  should  be  worn  together  with  his  harness-bridle, 
and  bit  whenever  he  is  shifted  from  one  stage  to  an- 
other. One  can  not  dwell  too  urgently  on  the  collar 
question,  for  sore  shoulders  are  the  dread  of  the  coach- 
man's existence,  and  anything  that  can  be  done  to  pre- 
vent them  is  labor  well  expended.  And  as  to  the  bridle 
and  bit,  the  comfort  of  driving  a  horse  in  the  bit  that 
suits  him  is  very  considerable. 

It  will  be  well  for  the  strappers  to  bathe  each 
horse's  shoulder  daily  Avith  a  weak  solution  of  alum 
water  and  vinegar  or  a  strong  solution  of  salt  and 
water  when  the  collar  is  removed  ;  this  contracts  and 
hardens  the  skin,  and  tends  to  prevent  chafing  or  gall- 
ing.    Collars  put  on  in  the  morning  should  remain  on 

4 


22  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

all  day  when  the  horses  are  required  to  go  out  a  sec- 
ond time. 

The  proper  harness  and  coach  are  described  under 
their  respective  headings,  so  a  further  description  of 
them  is  superfluous.  The  thirty-mile  route  above  men- 
tioned will  require  six  complete  sets  of  harness — live 
in  daily  use,  and  the  sixth  at  the  home  station  in  case 
of  need.  A  tire  or  other  accident  might  destroy  a  har- 
ness, when  an  extra  set  would  become  most  useful.  A 
really  well-run  route  should  have  an  extra  coach,  where 
it  can  be  called  on  in  case  of  accident  to  the  regular. 
In  a  long  route  where  an  up  and  down  coach  is  iiin 
daily  it  is  customary  to  have  an  extra  coach  at  each 
end  of  the  line,  besides  one  in  the  middle.  This  makes 
five  coaches  necessary  to  a  double  line  of  eighty  oi-  one 
hundred  miles.  These  precautions  may  by  some  be 
considered  an  unnecessary  extravagance  ;  such  persons 
will  be  Avise  not  to  attempt  a  public  coach.  Sooner 
or  later  they  will  find  their  coach  will  not  come  out 
.some  fine  morning,  and  with  no  extra  coach  to  fall 
back  on  temporarily  they  will  expose  themselves  to 
ridicule.  It  is  well  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that 
directly  a  man  undertakes  to  ]nit  on  a  "public"  he 
lays  himself  open  to  the  criticisni  of  '"the  talent,''  who 
ai'c  only  too  eager  to  find  flaws  in  his  equipment.  The 
time  schedule  must  be  adhered  to  as  closely  as  Avould 
that  of  a  railway,  and  such  adherence  is  the  pride  of 


5; 


COACHING.  2;5 

the  road  coachman.  If  the  would-be  coachman  says 
"  Oh,  that  is  all  farce  !  "  he  has  no  conception  of  the 
part  whatever.  Such  a  man  Avill  be  wise  to  confine 
himself  entirely  to  private  driving,  which  he  can  do 
as  eccentrically  as  he  chooses. 

It  is  important  that  all  the  branches  connected  with 
the  running-  of  a  coach  be  well  systematized,  or  con- 
fusion will  arise.  Each  groom  should  have  his  own 
stable  tools,  etc.,  numbered,  and  the  same  number 
should  be  placed  opposite  his  name  on  the  pay  roll. 
When  a  groom  is  discharged,  his  successor  takes  his 
number,  and  so  on.  It  is  well  to  have  the  horse  cloth- 
ing, head  collars,  etc.,  marked  with  the  number  of  the 
stage  to  which  each  belongs,  so  if  a  rug  is  accidentally 
misplaced  it  can  be  located  at  once.  All  such  trifling 
details  will  be  found  to  contribute  largely  toward  a 
smooth  Avorking  of  the  machinery.  The  person  who 
goes  over  the  route  after  the  coach  should  keep  a  daily 
memorandum,  showing  bv  number  the  location  of  each 
horse  on  the  road.  If  the  horses  are  named,  the  index 
should  show  the  number  Avhich  belongs  to  each  name, 
and  v'lve  ver&d.  With  this  system,  any  shifting  that  is 
desired  can  easily  be  directed  and  accurately  accom- 
plished. It  is  wisest  not  to  trust  to  verbal  orders  in 
such  cases,  but  to  make  a  signed  memorandum  describ- 
ing Avhat  horses  are  to  be  shifted  and  Avhere  they  are 
to   go,   for  the  extraordinary  com2)lications  Avhich  can 


24  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

occur  through  the  medium  of  stupid  grooms  aud  care- 
lessly given  orders  are  beyond  conception. 

Every  one  who  runs  a  public  coach  takes  a  pride 
ii\  nuiking  it  come  as  nearly  as  possible  to  paying  ex- 
penses ;  to  do  which  reipiires  a  systematic,  businesslike 
management. 

It  is  well  to  have  the  horses  stationed  a  few  days 
before  the  regular  work  is  to  begin,  for  l)v  driving 
ovci-  the  road  a  few  times  with  a  break  the  employees 
can  be  familiarized  with  their  duties  and  the  time  table 
given  somewhat  of  a  test. 

We  will  assume  the  coach  to  be  preparing  for  its 
first  tri})  :  the  best-looking  team  of  the  six  horses  at 
the  home  end  of  the  route  is  put  on.  The  head  groom 
generally  takes  the  coach  from  the  stable  to  its  start- 
ing place  (although  one  of  its  coachmen  or  the  guard 
nuiv  do  so),  lie  wears  a  black  melton  cutaway  coat 
with  breeches  of  tweed,  Bedford,  oi-  whipcord  and 
o-aiters,  white  stock  or  collar  and  white  scarf  and 
black  felt  top  hat.  The  guard  stands  in  his  place  on 
the  coach  with  his  horn  ready  foi"  use,  aud  the  two 
stablemen  hurry  along  (if  the  distance  is  great  they 
staiul  on  the  steps  of  the  coach)  to  receive  the  horses 
as  thev  pull  up.  Each  of  these  men  carries  the  loin 
cloths  for  a  wheeler  and  a  leader  thiowu  over  his 
shoulder.  As  the  coach  pulls  uj).  some  ten  minutes 
before  it   is   due   to   start,  the  guard  Jumps  dowu   aiul 


1      v.-^ 


* 


m 


o 


o 


:^'^1: 


COACHING.  25 

runs  to  the  office  to  receive  his  way  bills,  seat  card, 
etc.  Directly  the  horses  stop,  the  grooms  place  the 
cloths  quietly  across  their  loins,  slipping  them  care- 
fully under  the  reins  ;  ott'  side,  wheeler  first,  then 
leader ;  near  side,  leader  first,  then  Avheeler ;  this 
method  allowing  of  one  of  the  men  being  within  easy 
reach  of  the  leaders'  heads  if  necessary.  These  men 
then  station  themselves,  one  at  the  leaders'  heads,  the 
other  at  the  near  wheeler's ;  the  head  groom  dis- 
mounts, disposes  of  the  reins  and  whip  properly  (see 
Chapter  IX  on  Driving),  and  stands  at  the  ofi"  wheeler's 
head  with  the  coachman's  driving  aj)rou  across  his 
arm. 

Four  or  five  minutes  before  schedule  time,  the 
guard  having  the  ladder  ready,  sings  out  "  Coach  !  " 
as  a  signal  for  the  passengers  to  take  their  places. 
About  two  minutes  before  the  time  the  coachman 
has  his  apron  buckled,  takes  up  his  reins  and  whip 
quietly,  mounts  the  box,  compares  his  footboard  clock 
with  the  one  in  the  guard's  jiouch,  and  is  ready  to 
start. 

This  should  all  be  done  without  apparent  haste, 
but  it  does  not  look  well  to  have  to  wait  for  a  minute 
or  so  to  elapse.  As  soon  as  time  is  up  the  coachman 
calls  out  "Hold  fiist !""  Sit  tight !"  or  some  such  ex- 
pression, which  is  repeated  by  the  guard  ;  the  grooms 
strip    the    loin    cloths    off   carefully,  leaders   first,  then 


2(3  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

wheelers,  and  "  they  ai'e  off."  The  guard  immediately 
takes  his  place,  and  in  a  town  or  city  remains  stand- 
ing, sounding  his  horn  as  he  sees  the  necessity  for  it. 
Once  out  of  town,  the  guard  may  take  his  seat,  stand- 
ing, however,  when  it  is  necessary  to  sound  the  horn. 
On  quiet  country  roads  one  may  sometimes  drive  for 
miles  without  needing  the  horn  except  to  sound  the 
relay. 

Arriving  at  the  change,  we  find  the  team  ready,  as 
in  Plate  XII,  and  pull  up  some  feet  heyond  it.  One 
of  the  grooms  holds  the  fresh  horses  while  the  other 
jumps  to  unhook  the  off-lead  trace  ;  he  on  one  side 
and  the  guard  on  the  other  quickly  unhook  the  lead 
traces,  tuck  the  reins  (which  were  unbuckled  before 
arriving)  through  the  terrets  and  bridle,  and  pull  the 
leaders  out  of  the  way.  They  then  imhook  the  pole 
chains,  leaving  the  hook  in  the  kidney  link  ring  until 
they  have  unfastened  the  traces,  tucked  the  wheel 
reins,  unfastened  the  couplings,  whereupon  they  pull 
the  wheelers  out  of  the  way.  A  groom  then  takes  the 
fresh  near  wheelei',  the  guard  the  off",  and  slips  each 
into  his  place,  putting  them  to  as  quickly  as  possible 
(described  in  Chapter  VIII).  ^lean while  the  other 
groom  has  put  the  leaders  in  place  and,  if  they  are 
sufficiently  quiet,  has  passed  the  lead  reins  and  hooked 
the  near  lead  trace  ;  the  first  groom  then  hooks  both 
inside  and  off-lead  traces. 


U 


^ 


COACHING.  27 

It  is  generally  wise  for  the  coachman  to  get  down 
and  superintend  the  putting  to,  bitting,  etc,  of  his 
team,  as  well  as  to  look  his  coach  over.  On  a  fast 
coacii  with  an  experienced  guard,  or  with  a  jibbing 
team,  he  may  remain  on  the  box,  catching  the  reins 
on  his  whip  held  vertically.  He  is  then  ready  to  let 
his  team  go  as  soon  as  it  is  put  to.  In  the  latter 
case  he  has  to  trust  to  the  guard  to  look  the  coach 
over,  etc.,  which  is  not  quite  consistent  with  tirst- 
rate  coachmanship.  At  no  time  should  the  coachman 
start  unless  the  customary  warning  to  the  passen- 
gers has  been  given.  When  sufticient  assistants  can 
be  procured  at  a  change,  it  is  most  satisfactory  to 
have  the  near  wheeler  standing  on  the  near  side 
of  the  road  (as  in  Plate  XIII)  as  the  coach  comes 
up,  the  off  Avheeler  on  the  off  side  abreast  of  him. 
and  the  leaders  coupled  together  and  standing  just  in 
front  of  the  off'  wheeler.  Then  by  pulling  the  coach 
up  so  that  the  splinter  bar  is  about  on  a  line  with  the 
fresh  wheeler's  head,  the  quickest  kind  of  a  change 
can  be  made. 

Arriving  at  the  end  of  the  route,  provision  must  be 
made  for  the  necessary  grooms,  in  case  they  are  not 
carried  in  the  coach.  The  guard  is  occiqiied  in  un- 
loading the  coach,  so  can  not  give  his  attention  at  once 
to  the  horses,  Avhich  should  be  immediately  taken  out 
and  cared  for. 


28  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

It    will   often   be   found   well  to   station  the   horses 
along  the  thirty-mile  route  as  follows : 


Home  staljle < 


>  liur.ses. 


First  change 6 

Second  change 6 

Third  change 6 

Fourth  change 5 

Fifth  change 1 

30 


This  will  allow  the  running  of  the  horses  two  days 
on  and  one  day  oif  in  all  the  teams  but  the  last.  The 
object  in  keeping  one  horse  at  the  end  of  the  route  is 
obvious,  for  it  is  never  safe  to  put  up  without  an  extra 
horse  at  hand.  The  first  week  or  ten  days^  if  the 
travel  is  heav}",  will  tell  on  all  the  horses,  but  after  that 
Avith  good  care  they  will  steadily  improve.  After  a 
month  or  so  much  of  the  amusement  will  be  gone,  for 
the  horses  will  probably  know^  the  road  so  well  as  to 
need  comparatively  little  driving. 

Some  of  the  methods  advised  in  this  chaptei-  may 
with  perfect  jn-opriety  be  varied  to  suit  the  opinion  of 
an  expert,  but  the  novice  will  do  well  to  experiment 
thoroughly  before  challenging  them  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility. Road  coaching  is  like  yachting,  foi'  many  of 
the  cognoscenti  differ  in  their  system.  \vliil(>  sonu^  liave 
no  system  at  all.  (^hiery :  Do  the  latter  ever  get  to 
the   front?     It  seemed  well,   however,   to   put  forward 


■■>.'      r 


0 

o 


COACHINa. 


29 


a  system   in  this  book   which,  although   not  absolute, 
might  be  of  some  service  to  the  novice. 


RULES  FOR  JUDGING  PARK  DRAGS  AND  ROAD  COACHES, 
AS  ADOPTED  BY  THE  COACHING  CLUB. 

{PuhJished  lij  courtesy  of  the  Club.) 


THE    DRAG. 

The  drag  should  liave  a  perch, 
and  be  less  heavy  tlian  a  road 
coach  and  more  highly  finished, 
with  crest  or  monogram  on  the 
door  panels  or  boot. 

The  axles  may  be  either  mail 
or  Collinge's  (not  imitation). 

The  hind  seat  should  be  sup- 
ported by  curved  iron  braces,  and 
be  of  a  proper  width  for  two 
grooms,  without  lazyback. 


The  lazybacks  on  the  roof  seats 
should  be  turned  down  when  not 
in  use. 

The  underside  of  the  foot- 
board, together  with  the  risers, 
5 


THE    Cf)ACH. 

The  road  coach  should  be  built 
stronger  than  a  park  drag,  espe- 
cially as  to  the  undercarriage  and 
axles,  which  latter  should  not  uieas- 
ure  less  than  two  inches  in  diam- 
eter. 

The  axles  may  be  either  mail 
or  Collinge's  (not  imitation). 

The  liind  seat  is  usually  sup- 
ported by  solid  wooden  risers  with 
wooden  curtains,  but  the  supports 
may  be  of  curved  iron,  as  in  a  park 
drag,  in  which  case  a  stationary 
leather  curtain  is  used.  Its  seat 
should  be  wide  enough  for  at  least 
two  beside  the  guard,  who  should 
occupy  the  near  side  with  an  extra 
cushion.  He  should  have  a  strap 
to  take  hold  of  when  standing  to 
sound  the  horn. 

The  lazybacks  of  the  box  seat, 
hind  seat,  and  roof  seats  should  be 
stationary. 

The  underside  of  the  foot- 
board, together  with  the   risers  of 


30 


DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 


THE    DRAG. 

should  be  of  the  same  colour  as  the 
undercarriage. 

The  body  of  the  drag  and  the 
panel  of  the  hind  boot  should  cor- 
respond in  colour. 

The  door  of  the  hind  boot 
should  be  hinged  at  the  bottom, 
that  it  may  be  used  as  a  table  when 
open. 

The  skid  and  safety  hook  (if 
carried)  should  be  hung  on  the  off 
side. 


It  is  customary  to  trim  the  out- 
side seats  in  either  pigskin  or  cloth, 
and  the  inside  of  the  drag  in  mo- 
rocco or  cloth. 

The  coachman's  driving  apron, 
when  not  in  use,  should  be  folded 
on  the  driving  cushion,  outside  out. 
Passengers'  aprons,  if  carried,  to 
be  folded  and  placed  on  the  front 
inside  seat. 

A  watch  and  case  are  not  essen- 
tial, nor  is  the  pocket  in  the  dri\- 
ing  cushion. 

There  should  be  no  luggage 
rails  or  straps  on  the  roof  between 
the  seats. 


THE    COACH. 

the  box  and  hind  seat,  should  be  of 
the  same  colour  as  the  undercar- 
riage. 

The  body  of  the  coach  and  the 
panel  of  the  hind  boot  should  also 
correspond  in  colour. 

The  door  of  the  hind  boot 
should  be  hinged  on  the  off  side,  to 
enable  the  guai'd  to  open  it  from 
the  near  hind  step  when  tlie  coach 
is  in  motion. 

The  skid  and  safety  hook  must 
be  hung  on  the  off'  side  in  countries 
in  which  it  is  customary  to  drive 
on  the  off'  side  of  the  roadway  ;  for 
the  skid  should  be  on  the  outside 
wheel,  or  the  coach  will  slide  toward 
the  ditch. 

The  trimming  of  the  outside 
seats  should  be  of  carpet  or  any 
other  suitable  material,  not  leather. 
Tlie  inside  of  the  coach  is  usually 
finished  in  hard  wood  or  leather. 

The  coaclnnan's  driving  apron, 
when  not  in  u.-c,  should  l)c  folded 
on  the  driving  cushion,  outside  out. 


A  footboard  watch  with  case 
should  be  provided.  The  driving 
cushion  should  have  a  pocket  on 
the  near  side. 

Tiie  iron  rails  on  the  roof  be- 
tween the  front  and  the  liack  seats 
should  have  a  lattice  or  network  of 


COACHING. 


31 


THE    DRAG. 


Inside,  the  drag  should  have  : 
Hat  straps  fastened  to  the  roof. 
Pockets  on  the  doors.  Places  over 
the  front  or  back  seat  where  the 
lamps  maj'  be  linng  when  not  in 
use.     An  extra  jointed  whip. 

The  umbrella  basket,  when  car- 
ried, to  be  hung  on  the  near  side. 


Lamps  off.    Lamps  inside  coach. 

Two  extra  lead  bars,  consisting 
of  a  main  and  side  bar,  fastened  to 
the  back  of  the  hind  seat  with 
strajjs.     !Main  bar  al>ove. 

Lead  bars  ])nt  on  with  screw 
heads  of  furniture  up. 

The  following  articles  to  be 
neatly  stowed  inside  the  front  boot : 
A  small  kit  of  tools.  An  extra 
lead  and  wheel  trace.  A  rein 
splicer  or  two  double  buckles  of 
different  sizes.  Extra  hame  straps. 
Loin  cloths  for  team  and  the  neces- 
sary waterproof  aprons  should  Ije 
carried  in  a  convenient  and  acces- 
sible part  of  the  drag. 


THE    COACH. 

leather  straps  to  prevent  small  lug- 
gage, coats,  rugs,  etc.,  placed  on 
the  roof  from  falling  off. 

Liside,  the  coach  should  have  : 
Hat  straps  fastened  to  the  roof. 
Leather  pockets  at  the  sides  or  on 
the  doors.     An  extra  jointed  whip. 


The  basket  should  be  hung  on 
the  near  side  and  in  front  of  the 
guard's  seat.  The  horn  should  be 
placed  in  the  basket  with  its  mouth- 
piece up. 

Side  lamps  in  place  and  ready 
for  use. 

Two  extra  lead  bars,  consisting 
of  a  main  and  side  bar,  fastened  to 
the  back  of  the  hind  seat  with 
straps.     Main  bar  above. 

Lead  bars  put  on  with  screw 
heads  of  furniture  u]). 

The  following  articles  to  be 
neatly  stowed  in  a  convenient  part 
of  the  coach  :  A  wheel  jack.  A 
chain  trace.  Extra  hame  straps. 
Extra  lead  trace.  A  bearing  rein. 
A  rein  splicer  (a  short  strap  of  the 
same  width  as  the  reins,  with 
a  buckle  at  either  end)  or  two 
double  buckles  of  different  sizes. 
A  kit  of  tools,  comprising  a 
wrench,  hammer,  coil  of  wire, 
punch,  hoofpick,  and  a  knife. 
Two  extra  large   rings  for  kidney 


32 


DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 


THE    DRAG. 


It  is  usual  for  a  park  drag  to 
be  fitted  with  luncheon  boxes,  wine 


THE    COACH. 

links  or  a  pair  of  pole  pieces.     An 
extra  bit. 

The  guard  should  be  appropri- 
ately dressed,  and   should   have   a 


racks,  etc. ;  also  a  box  on  the  roof  way-bill  pouch  with  a  watch  fitted 

called  an  "  imperial."     This  latter  ou  one  side,  and  a  jjlace  provided 

is  never  carried  except  when  going  for  the  key  of  the  hind  boot, 
to  the  races  or  a  luncheon. 


PARK    HARNESS. 

Pole  chains  should  be  burnished 
and  have  spring  hooks.  The  chains 
should  be  of  a  length  which  will 
permit  of  snapping  both  hooks  into 
the  pole  ring.  If  too  short,  one 
end  should  be  hooked  in  the  pole- 
head  ring  and  the  other  in  a  link. 
If  too  long,  one  end  should  be 
snapped  in  the  pole-head  ring,  and 
the  other  brought  through  said 
ring  (from  the  outside  in)  and 
snapped  in  a  link. 

Cruppers  with  buckles  on  all 
horses.* 


Loin    straps   and    trace   bearers 
are  permissible. 


ROAD    HARNESS. 

Pole  chains  should  be  burnished 
or  black,  but  pole  head  and  chains 
should  be  alike.  Hooks  should 
have  India-rubber  rings,  not  spring 
hooks.  Chains  with  single  hooks 
should  be  put  on  pole  head  from 
inside  out,  then  passed  through  the 
kidney  link  and  hooked  into  one  of 
the  links  of  the  chain. 


Cruppers  with  or  without  buc- 
kles on  wheelers,  but  not  necessarily 
on  leaders,  unless  bearing  reins  are 
used.  Martingale  back  strap.  Trace 
bearers  on  the  leaders  from  the 
hames  to  tug  buckles  are  permissi- 
ble. 

No  loin  straps. 


*  While  cruppers  with  buckles  are  perfectly  proper,  it  seems  unwise  to 
make  them  compulsory.  Many  experienced  amateurs  are  opposed  to  tlie  use 
of  buckles  on  the  cruppers  of  any  park  harness,  and  in  the  author's  opinion 
justifiably  so. 


COACHING. 


83 


PARK     HARNESS. 

Face  pieces  (drops). 

Martingales  around  tlic  collars 
of  wheelers,  and  not  through  the 
kidney  links  alone. 

Martingales  on  all  horses. 


No  rings  on  coupling  reins. 

Mountings  of  coach  and  harness 
and  the  buttons  on  servants"  liveries 
should  be  of  the  same  metal. 

"Wheel  traces  with  metal  loop 
ends,  not  chains. 

"Wheelers'  inside  traces  shorter 
than  outside  traces,  unless  the  inside 
roller  bolt  is  enlarged  to  give  the 
same  result. 

Lead  traces  straight  or  lapped, 
not  crossed. 

Eyes  on  end  of  liames  through 
which  the  kidney  links  pass. 

Plain  kidney  links.  No  kidney- 
link  rings  on  leaders. 

Solid  draught  eyes  on  hames. 

Clip  inside  of  trace  leather,  and 
showing  rivet  heads  only. 

Full-bearing  reins  with  bit  and 
bridoon.     Buxton  bits  preferred. 

Single  point  strap  to  tug  buckle. 

Metal  or  ribbon  fronts  to  bri- 
dles. If  ribbon,  the  colour  should 
match  the  livery  waistcoat. 

The  crest  or  monogram  should 
be  on  the  rosettes,  face  pieces, 
winkers,  pads,  and  martingale  flaps. 


ROAD    HARNESS. 

Face  pieces  (optional). 

Martingales  around  the  collars, 
and  not  through  the  kidney  links 
alone. 

No  martingales  on  leaders  ;  kid- 
ney-link rings  on  leaders. 

Mountings,  preferably  of  brass, 
but  at  least  all  of  the  same  metal 
throughout. 

"Wheel  traces  with  French  loop 
or  chain  ends.  Chain  put  on  roller 
bolt  with  chain  out  and  ring  in. 

"Wheelers'  inside  traces  shorter 
than  outside  traces,  unless  the  in- 
side roller  bolt  is  enlarged  to  give 
the  same  result. 

Lead  traces  lapped,  crossed,  or 
straight. 

Hook  ends  to  hames. 

Chain  and  short  kidney  links 
or  all  chain. 

Ring  draught  eyes  on  hames. 


One  or  more  bearing  reins  are 
optional. 

Metal  or  leather  fronts  to  bridle. 
If  leather,  the  colour  to  match  the 
coach. 

A  crest  or  monogram  is  not 
generally  used  in  road  work,  but 
instead  lead  bars  or  a  special  device 


34 


DRIVING  FOR   PLEASURE. 


PARK    HARNKSS. 

Ribbon  or  coloured  rosettes  are 
inappropriate. 

Hames  straps  put  on  witli  points 
inside — i.  e.,  to  the  off  side  on  the 
near  liorse  and  the  near  side  on  the 
off  horse. 

Reins  of  single  brown  leather. 

Draught  reins  sewed  in  one 
piece,  with  end  buckles  only. 

Lead  traces  with  screw  heads  of 
the  cockeyes  up. 

All  parts  of  the  harness  should 
be  double,  and  neatly  stitched. 

Collars  to  be  of  black  patent 
leather  shaped  to  the  neck. 

The  hames  bent  to  fit  the  collar 
accurately. 

Harness  black.  All  straps 
should  be  of  proper  length,  but 
not  too  short. 

When  the  owner  or  his  repre- 
sentative drives,  the  stable  shutters 
should  be  down  ;  otherwise  up. 


KI)AD    HARNESS. 

in  brass  is  put  on  the  winkers  and 
rosettes. 

Hames  straps  put  on  with  points 
inside — i.  e.,  to  the  off  side  on  the 
near  horse  and  the  near  side  on  the 
off  horse. 

Reins  of  single  brown  leather. 

Draught  reins  sewed  in  one 
piece,  with  end  buckles  only. 

Traces  with  screw  heads  of  the 
cockeyes  and  chain  ends  up. 

All  straps  preferably  of  single 
leather. 

Collars  may  be  of  jiatent,  plain 
black,  or  brown  leather ;  straight, 
thick,  and  full  padded. 

The  hames  straight  to  lit  the 
collar. 

Harness  black  or  brown. 


SOME   COACH-HORN   CALLS. 

THE    START. 


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35 


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CHANC.E    MORSES. 


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1 


CHAPTER  IV 


FOUR-IN-HAXD. 


While  the  term  four-in-hand  is  very  properly  em- 
braced under  the  title  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
Coaching;,  the  latter  term  is  not  applicable  to  four-in- 
hand  drivino;  at  large,  and  the  two  should  not  be  con- 
fused.  The  word  coaching  applies  only  to  the  sport 
W'hen  a  coach  or  drag  is  the  vehicle  used.  Four-in- 
hand  work  embraces  the  remainder  of  the  field. 

It  is  almost  imperative  for  every  coaching  man  to 
have  some  vehicle  besides  his  coach  to  which  he  can 
drive  four  horses,  as  the  coach  is  often  too  heavy  for 
exercising,  etc. 

Four-in-hand  driving  is  a  delightful  sport  in  itself, 
and  although  it  can  scarcely  be  brought  to  the  acme 
of  perfection  in  detail  of  which  coaching  admits,  never- 
theless it  is  not  to  be  despised. 

It  is  necessary  that  every  man  who  goes  into 
coaching  shall  have  passed  through  the  school  of  four- 
in-hand  driving.  In  Plates  XIV  and  XV  are  shown 
the  body  break,  with  and  without  perch.  These  two 
carriages  may  be  considered  the  standard  four-in-hand 


36 


-  i^^^^^M^HM' 


oa 


oa 
1. 


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0, 


OCI 


';; 

a: 

<^ 

X 

■a 

io 

<s 

V. 

■< 


&J 


FOUR-IN-HAND.  37 

traps ;  and  ■uhile  there  are  several  other  carriages, 
such  as  the  roof  seat  break  (Phite  XVI),  the  omnibus 
(Plate  XCVIII),  the  French  char  a  hanc  (Plate  XVII), 
and  the  skeleton  break  (Plate  XVIIl),  which  ai-e  per- 
fectly practical  for  the  driving  of  four  horses,  they  can 
not,  nevertheless,  be  considered  as  in  the  best  of  form. 
Of  course,  in  the  case  of  the  omnibus  we  have  a 
carriage  which  is  useful  for  other  purposes  as  well,  and 
often  answers  for  the  man  who  has  not  tlie  time  or  the 
means  to  indulge  in  a  vehicle  which  is  adapted  to  four- 
in-hand  work  alone.  It  may  be  wise,  however,  to  ad- 
vise against  the  use  of  hybrid  vehicles  for  four-in-hand 
work  on  general  principles,  as  in  most  cases  their  cost  is 
about  the  same  as  that  of  the  standard  carriages,  and 
they  have  ordinarily  very  little  in  themselves  to  war- 
rant a  deviation  in  their  favoui'.  Breaks  and  four-in- 
hand  traps  generally  should  be  considered  as  sporting 
vehicles,  and  treated  in  their  appointment  on  that 
basis.  Stable  liveries  should  be  used,  also  road  harness 
with  the  sporting  type  of  bits.  etc.  Custom  has,  per- 
haps, made  it  admissible  that  at  times  the  servants  may 
wear  full  liveries  on  a  break  which  has  a  hind  seat 
similarly  arranged  to  that  of  a  coach  :  but  it  should 
be  remembered  primarily  that  such  carriages  are  clas- 
sified under  the  term  hybrid,  and  are  therefore 
scarcely  to  be  considered  as  within  the  pale  of  ci'iti- 
cism.     It    can   invariablv   be   said  to   be   in  far    better 


38  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

taste  to  turn  them  out  in  tlie  more  simple  style  which 
conforms  to  the  undress  livery  ;  and  the  adherence  to 
the  pot  hat  and  mufti  on  the  part  of  their  owner  is 
on  all  occasions  advisable. 

In  Plate  XIX  is  shown  the  arranoement  of  the 
bars,  etc.,  for  the  "putting  to"  of  six  horses.  While 
the  driving  of  six  is  not  considered  as  in  the  best  of 
form,  there  are  times  when  it  will  be  found  useful,  and 
for  this  reason  the  photograph  has  been  introduced. 


CHAPTER   V. 

TANDEM. 

Tandem  driving  is  a  most  delightful  sport,  and  pro- 
ductive of  a  great  deal  of  skill  on  the  part  of  the  man 
who  practices  it  constantly  and  with  a  variety  of 
horses.  It  seems  to  be  somewhat  of  a  fad  with  coach- 
ing and  four-in-hand  men  generally  to  affect  to  despise 
a  tandem  as  beneath  their  dignity.  Such  an  affecta- 
tion is  absurd,  for  tandem  driving  requires  the  consider- 
ation of  many  points  which  do  not  exist  in  the  driving 
of  four ;  and  although  the  latter  sport  demands  more 
finished  horsemanship  as  a  whole,  tandem  driving  fur- 
nishes a  field  for  practice,  and  the  use  of  hands  and 
whip,  which  are  most  valuable  to  a  coachman. 

AVhen  one  has,  for  example,  tAvo  highly  strung 
horses  with  sensitive  mouths  which  are  new  to  tandem 
work,  he  has  really  one  of  the  prettiest  opportunities 
for  the  display  of  finished  horsemanship  and  hands,  if 
he  would  bring  these  horses  to  their  work  projierly 
without  the  constant  assistance  of  his  groom. 

Probably  every  tandem  driver  has  seen  a  leader  fah 
over  backward,  and  realized  that  the  performance  was 

39 


40  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

ill  nine  cases  out  of  ten  due  to  the  bad  hands  of  the 
driver.  Horses  of  the  disposition  above  described  re- 
quire a  constant  and  dehcate  feehng  of  the  bit.  When 
such  is  not  the  practice,  and  tlie  opportunity  is  fur- 
nished by  a  sufficiently  loose  rein,  they  will  rush  for- 
ward, and  naturally,  coming  suddenly  against  the  bit 
held  with  the  vicelike  grip  of  a  heavy-handed  whip, 
are  apt  to  jib  and  plunge. 

It  is  at  times  more  or  less  of  an  impossibility  to 
avoid  the  leader's  coming  back  suddenly,  thus  leaving 
a  certain  amount  of  slack  rein,  and  in  such  cases  skilful 
handling  shows  to  the  best  advantage.  The  skilled 
hand  will  drop  itself  naturally,  catching  the  rush  with 
a  slight  pressure  at  the  outset,  which  is  gradually 
increased  to  one  more  severe  until  the  horse  faces 
his  bit. 

On  the  average  level  road  or  slight  down  grade  the 
leader  is  not  expected  to  do  any  work,  and  must  be 
gently  restrained  so  that  his  traces  hang  possibly  a 
foot  below  their  level  when  extended.  The  leader 
should  never  be  allowed  to  pull  the  wheeler  along,  as  it 
is  a  most  dangerous  performance,  which  eight  wheelers 
out  of  ten  will  resent  by  either  jibbing  or  coming  down 
on  their  knees. 

The  driving  of  tandem  was  practically  originated  by 
a  custom  on  tlie  i)artofsome  of  the  sportsmen  in  the 
hunting  countries  oftakini!,-  their  hunter  to  cover  as  a 


'O 


'O 


TANDEM.  41 

leader,  this  method  being  the  nearest  approach  to 
having  him  led  out.  They  of  course  did  not  allow  him 
to  do  any  work,  and  he  simply  jogged  along  comfort- 
ably to  himself  until  the  meet  was  reached.  The  cus- 
tom of  driving  in  this  manner  gradually  grew  into 
favour,  and  became   more  or  less  a  sport  of  itself. 

Within  the  past  few  years  it  has  been  taken  up 
somewhat  by  ladies.  Lady  Georgiana  Curzon  has  w^rit- 
ten  quite  an  interesting  little  chapter  in  the  Badminton 
Driving  on  the  subject,  and  I  take  the  liberty  of  quot- 
ing her  description  of  the  arrangement  and  dimensions 
of  the  bars  as  she  uses  them,  for  they  are  especially 
appropriate  to  ladies'  driving,  and  make  rather  a  nice 
distinction  between  the  two  types.  "  This  method  in- 
volves the  use  of  two  bars,  the  first  twenty-nine  and 
one  half  inches  long,  and  the  second  twenty -three  inches 
long  ;  the  first  one  has  at  each  end  twenty-two  inches 
of  trace,  which  hook  on  to  the  tugs  of  the  wheeler's 
traces  :  in  the  centre  of  this  bar  is  a  small  chain  ten 
and  one  half  inches  long,  which  fastens  on  to  the 
wheeler's  collar  by  the  ordinary  kidney  link  and  ring- 
as  for  a  pole  chain.  This  is  to  prevent  the  bars  touch- 
ing the  Avheeler  when  standing  still.  In  front  of  the 
main  Ijar  is  a  large  hook,  on  to  which  is  affixed  the 
second  bar,  the  space  between  the  two  being  four  and 
one  half  inches.  To  the  second  bar  are  hooked  the 
leader's  traces." 


42  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

Tandem  carts  or  gigs  are  made  with  straight  or 
very  sUghtly  beut  shafts,  which  should  hang  nearly 
level  when  harnessed,  althoui>h  a  triflins;  inclination 
towards  the  tail  is  admissible.  A  cart  should  never 
hang  "  bv  the  head." 

It  will  readily  be  seen  by  these  suggestions  that  the 
height  of  the  cart  is  a  very  considerable  factor  in  the 
selection  of  the  wheeler.  The  arrangement  and  buc- 
kling of  the  tugs  is  a  most  important  point,  for  on  this 
the  ease  of  motion  of  the  cart  depends  in  a  very  great 
measure.  When  the  shafts  are  level  and  the  buckles 
dropped  or  raised  to  suit  this  condition,  the  tug  belly- 
band  is  buckled  loosely :  it  should  have  plenty  of 
freedom  to  allow  of  an  ujiward  and  downward  play 
of  the  shafts  when  the  cart  is  driven  over  an  uneven 
surface.  The  practice  of  buckling  it  tight  has 
made  many  a  novice  decide  that  he  does  not  care 
to  have  his  digestion  upset  by  the  jolting  of  a  tan- 
dem cart,  whereas,  if  the  cart  is  well  balanced  and 
properly  harnessed,  it  is  a  most  delightful  vehicle  to 
drive. 

A  harness  which  is  thoroughly  tandem  is  shown  in 
Plate  XXXIV",  but  there  has  been  a  tendency  of  late 
years  to  introduce  the  j)ai'k  rehnements  l)v  lining, 
double  leather,  etc..  so  that  style  also  must  bo  in  a 
measui'e  considered.  The  livery  of  the  groom  is 
shown  in  Plates  XXXVll,  XXXA^III,  and  XL;  but  for 


TANDEM.  4;^ 

road  use  in  the  counti-y.  with  the  true  tandem  harness, 
stable  clothes  are  most  suitable. 

It  may  be  well  to  state  that  the  groom,  when  left 
alone  to  hold  a  tandem,  should  stand  on  the  off  side  of 
the  wheeler's  head,  so  that,  if  necessary,  he  can  use  his 
left  hand  to  hold  the  wheeler  and  his  right  to  grasp  the 
leader's  reins.  (The  same  method  should  be  adopted 
when  one  man  is  left  to  hold  a  four.)  When  the  owner 
is  up,  he  should  stand  in  front  of  and  facing  the  leader, 
and  either  holding  both  reins  liiihtlv  or  standing  with 
arms  folded  some  few  feet  distant. 

When  the  owner  is  driving  without  a  passenger, 
the  tailboard  of  the  cart  should  be  up,  and  his 
servant  should  sit  beside  him.  The  cocking  cart, 
however,  savours  so  much  of  a  four-wheeler  in  its 
arrangement  that  the  servant  should  always  be  car- 
ried on  the  hind  seat  or  rumble.  The  lamps  on 
any  tandem  cart  should  be  removed  in  the  daytime, 
unless  they  are  provided  with  shutters  or  can  be 
turned  in  the  irons  so  as  to  show  only  a  plain  black 
surface. 

The  carts  given  here  are  those  which  have  been 
ado])ted  as  standard  by  the  Tandem  Club  of  New  York, 
and  are  in  the  main  copies  of  old  prints. 

The  cocking  cart  (Plate  XX)  is  taken  from  the 
print  by  Newhouse  entitled  (Toing  to  the  Moors.  It 
is   a   cumbersome    vehicle    and    should    onlv    be    used 

7 


44  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

in  a  very  large  stable,  as  it  is  scarcely  suitable  for 
everyday  and  all-around  service. 

The  Wliitechapel  cart  (Plate  XXI)  has  been  in  use 
for  many  years  and  is  of  good  standard  pattern  ;  it 
is  a  smart  and  practical  vehicle,  but  the  greatest  care 
must  be  exercised  in  the  harnessing  of  it,  to  prevent 
its  looking  too  much   "  down  by  the  tail." 

The  going-to-cover  cart  (Plate  XXII)  is  taken  from 
Henderson's  print  of  that  title,  and,  by  the  way,  no 
more  truly  sporting  picture  of  the  tandem  is  extant. 
The  horses  are  both  of  a  rattling,  breedy  stamp, 
and  no  better  ideal  can  be  found  at  the  present 
time. 

The  spicy  team  cart  (Plate  XXIII)  is  somewhat 
after  that  in  Walsh's  print  of  that  name,  and  has  con- 
siderable character. 

The  tandem  gig  (Plate  XXIV)  is  taken  from  Aiken's 
print  of  A  Sporting  Tandem,  and  is  a  very  good  pat- 
tern of  a  tandem  vehicle  to  carry  two. 

There  is  no  carriage  Avhich  requires  more  severity 
of  treatment  than  the  dogcart.  It  will  be  noticed 
that  in  all  the  examples  shown  here  the  iron  work, 
etc.,  is  as  plain  and  simple  as  possible. 

A  basket  should  never  be  carried,  except  possibly 
for  road  Avork  ;  and  as  to  a  horn,  it  is  probably 
better  form  in  this  country  to  dispense  with  it  en- 
tirely. 


$t^ 


I 

o 


b 


TANDEM.  45 

There  are  a  few  four-wheeled  vehicles  which  are 
appropriate  for  tandem  use,  as,  for  example,  the  shoot- 
iug  drag  or  Scotch  phaeton,  as  shown  in  Nimrod's 
Life  of  a  Sportsman,  and  tjie  four-wheeled  dogcart 
shown  in  Henderson's  print  entitled  Late  for  the  Mail. 
(See  Plate  LXVIIL) 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HORSES. 

The  intention  of  this  book  is  to  treat  more  par- 
ticularly the  appointment  of  our  modern  vehicles, 
and  to  point  out  the  general  details  which  are 
necessary  to  a  finished  equipage ;  but  a  few  words 
on  the  subject  of  the  horse  may  not  be  out  of 
place. 

The  numerous  horse  shows  which  have  sprung 
into  existence  Avithin  the  past  few  years  have 
aroused  a  general  interest  in  horsey  matters.  Even 
the  casual  observer  must  have  noticed  the  marked 
improvement  in  the  harness  classes  at  our  recent 
shows,  and  to  those  who  are  interested  the  im- 
provement seems  little  short  of  marvellous. 

When  the  National  Horse  Show  Association's  first 
show  was  held,  in  1883,  many  of  the  exhibitors 
entered  their  horses  in  classes  to  which  they  were 
unsuited.  For  this  reason  the  judges  were  often 
obliged  to  pass  over  a  good  horse,  and  in  conse- 
quence Avere  unfiiirly  criticised  by  the  spectators, 
many    of  whom    could    not    appreciate    the    Avhy    and 


HOESES.  47 

wherefore.  By  degrees  a  more  general  understand- 
iug  of  the  requirements  has  been  arrived  at,  and  a 
marked  improvement  is  tlie  result. 

The  introduction  of  cable  and  electric  tramways 
has  thrown  an  enormous  number  of  cheap  horses 
on  our  market,  and,  in  consequence,  even  the  bet- 
ter class  of  horse  will  not  bring  his  value,  although 
the  "rare  good  one''  has  never  commanded  higher 
figures  than  at  the  present  time.  This  temporary 
depression  is  bound  to  improve  the  quality  of  the 
horses  bred  in  this  country,  for  the  following  reason  : 

Throughout  the  West  a  certain  class  of  farmers 
have  been  marketing  hundreds  of  monstrosities 
masqueraded  as  horses,  which  should  never  have 
been  seen  outside  of  a  dime  museum.  The 
enormous  demand  for  street-car  liorses  encouraged 
these  breeders  in  the  purchasing  of  broken-down, 
unsound  mares.  These  mares  they  bred  to  slab- 
sided  trotting  stallions  and  grade  percherons,  and, 
sad  to  say,  their  produce  was  readily  sold.  As 
soon  as  this  class  of  former  finds  an  absence  of 
demand  for  his  production  he  will  try  a  crop  more 
in  his  line.  This  will  leave  the  field  clear  for  the 
farmer  who  breeds  carefully  and  intelligently,  for 
there  always  will  be  a  good  market  for  high-grade 
horses. 

The    better    the    horse    the    higher    price    he    will 


48  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

bring.  In  consequence  of  this,  great  care  will  be 
taken  in  the  selection  of  sires,  and  none  but  high- 
class  mares  will  be  used  in  the  stud,  for  the  pro- 
duce of  inferior  ones  will  not    be    worth  stable  room. 

What  more  appropriate  time,  therefore,  could  be 
found  for  the  institution  of  standards  of  type  than 
the  present,  and  what  organization  is  better  fitted 
to  assume  this  responsibility  than  the  National 
Horse  Show  Association  of  America  ?  Not  only  the 
driving  public,  but  the  breeders  themselves,  would 
be  benefited  by  such  a  move.  The  latter  would 
then  be  enabled  to  breed  with  some  definite  object 
in  view,  and  not  at  random,  as  most  of  them  do 
now. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  in  breedino-  that  bv 
selection  one  can  in  a  few  generations  so  accen- 
tuate a  peculiarity  as  to  make  it  a  deformity,  or 
vice  verm. 

The  pigeon,  owing  to  the  rapidity  with  which  it 
reproduces,  furnishes  the  best  illustration  of  the  ex- 
traordinary results  which  selection  can  effect.  From 
the  common  blue  rock  have  been  evolved  the  tum- 
blers, pouters,  fantails,  jacobins,  and  even  the  now 
famous  homing  pigeons. 

Any  one  who  has  made  a  study  of  the  breeding 
of  cattle,  dogs,  pigs,  sheep,  chickens,  etc.,  knows  the 
importance    of   proper    selection    and    its    possibihties. 


HORSES.  49 

This  only  o-oes  to  show  what  is  possible  in  the 
breeding  of  horses,  though  the  process  of  evolution 
is  necessarily  slower. 

The  standards  of  type  should  be  made,  to  some 
extent,  for  the  breeder  to  "  grow  to."  In  other 
words,  we  must  not  be  satisfied  with  existing  speci- 
mens, but  from  them  portray  even  more  perfect 
ideals  without  attempting  impossibilities. 

The  breeding  of  trotters  for  speed  alone  has  been 
an  injury  to  the  horses  of  this  country.  The  men 
who  do  this  generally  throw  from  twenty  to  thirty 
useless  runts  on  the  market  to  each  fast  horse  they 
produce.  While  we  are  undoubtedly  patriotic  enough 
to  appreciate  the  surprising  results  which  have  been 
effected,  we  doubt  whether  they  are  beneficial  to  the 
horse  world  at  large. 

Fortunately,  many  trotting-horse  breeders  are  be- 
ginning to  realize  that  it  pays  better  to  add  size, 
conformation,  and  uniformity  to  their  requirements, 
for  they  are  thus  enabled  to  get  good  prices  for 
their  culls  as  roadsters,  etc. 

Certain  lines  of  trotting  blood  are  producing  indi- 
viduals peculiarly  adapted  to  the  spider  phaeton, 
light  gig,  etc.  When  the  breeders  fully  appreciate 
the  value  of  such  horses  they  will  breed  with  a 
view  to  reproducing  and  improving  the  good  types. 

The   old    Morgan    trotter    is    probably    the  nearest 


50  DRIVING   FOE  PLEASURE. 

suited  to  the  requirements  of  the  brougham  or 
carriage  horse  of  any  strain  produced  in  America. 
Unfortunately,  this  blood  is  almost  extinct,  but  there 
is  no  reason  why  it  can  not  be  revived  in  the  course 
of  time. 

What  one  might  term  the  "fancy  carriage  horse" 
is  a  comparatively  new  type  in  this  country.  Those 
we  have  are  for  the  most  part'  mere  freaks,  and 
bred  on  no  particular  lines. 

There  is  nothing  like  blood,  and  there  is  no  blood 
like  that  of  the  English  thoroughbred,  because  of 
its  long  establishment.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  as 
early  as  the  fourteenth  century  Henry  VIII  issued 
an  edict  prohibiting  his  subjects  from  using  any  stal- 
lion under  fourteen  hands  high  for  breeding  purposes, 
and  yet  many  would  have  us  think  that  all  the 
good  qualities  of  the  English  thoroughbred  came 
from  the  horses  of  Eastern  countries.  It  is  quite 
certain  that  racing  existed  in  England  more  than 
fifty  years  before  the  importation  of  any  Arab,  Barb, 
or  Tui'kish  blood. 

Now  a  trotting  thoroughbred  was  the  progenitor 
of  our  American  trotter,  and  careful  selection  has 
established  the  present  breed. 

The  heavyweight  thoroughbred  liunter  has  been 
produced  in  the  same  manner,  as  has  also  the  thor- 
oughbred   polo    pony,   two    extreme    types.      We    find 


HORSES.  51 

occasional  examples  of  high  action  in  the  thorough- 
bred, and  they  are  quite  frequent  in  the  trotter. 

Let  such  horses  as  these  be  selected  as  sires  for 
our  carriage  horses.  The  more  they  vary  in  type 
the  better,  provided  the  proper  mares  can  be  found 
to  breed   to  them. 

The  author  is  thoroughly  convinced  that  an  intelli- 
gent commingling  of  the  blood  of  the  thoroughbred 
with  that  of  the  American  trotter  will  enable  us 
to  supply  all  the  types  necessary  for  heavy  harness 
purposes,  and  this  combination  Avill  retain  that  much- 
to-be-desired   element,  quality. 

The  English  hackney  is  by  no  means  to  be  de- 
spised, but  it  is  probable  that  the  combination  just 
mentioned  will  produce  a  horse  even  better  adapted 
to  our  uses. 

We  have  benefited  enormously  by  the  English 
thoroughbred :  let  us  try  to  show  our  cousins  across 
the  sea  that  we  have  not  hidden  our  talent  in 
the  ground,  but  have  produced  an  animal  supe- 
rior to  the  hackney  in  its  own  sphere  of  useful- 
ness. 

It  is  doubtful  if  we  can  at  present  equal  the 
superb  exhibition  which  a  high-class  hackney  makes 
when  shown  to  hand.  The  coarseness  about  the 
throat  and  shortness  of  the  neck,  which  to  a  great 
extent  prevail  in  the  breed,  do    not  show  as  much  in 


52  DRIVING-  FOR  PLEASURE. 

this  case  as  when  in  harness,  especially  when  the  cus- 
tomary side  reins  are  used. 

The  hackney  is  a  capital  type  of  an  old  gentle- 
man's park  hack,  is  exceedingly  well  suited  to  a  lady's 
phaeton  or  small  two-wheeler,  and  its  pony  types  are 
very  good. 

Prejudice  should  not  stand  in  the  way  of  our  bene- 
fiting, Avhere  possible,  by  the  introduction  of  this 
blood.  Let  us  try  the  effect  of  crossing  them  intelli- 
gently on  our  trotters  or  with  thoroughbreds.  Let 
this  progeny  compete  with  true  American-bred  ones, 
and  may  the  best  horse   w'm. 

The  requirements  for  our  future  ideals  will  be  much 
on  the  following  lines : 

Conformation,  quality,  suitable  size  and  type  (de- 
scribed) ;  weight  (described) ;  pace  (described) ;  action 
(style  of,  described) ;  colour  and  soundness.  With  re- 
quirements of  this  sort,  in  which  the  descriptions  are 
carefully  thought  out,  one  could  form  quite  a  close 
idea  of  what  is  wanted  in  any  particular  class. 
These  requirements  could  be  numbered,  and  in  various 
classes  they  could  be  referred  to  under  their  uumber 
for  the  sake  of  simplification. 

Oftentimes  a  fine  large  pair  of  horses  will  look  well 
before  a  full-sized  landau,  while  before  a  bi-ougham 
they  would  look  out  of  proportion,  and  thereby  de- 
tract greatly  from  the  general  eft'ect.      ^^'ith   require- 


m> 


HORSES.  53 

ments  giving  the  necessary  weight  and  height,  the 
entry  of  these  horses  in  their  proper  class  would  be 
assured.  It  is  well  for  every  horse  owner  to  bear  in 
mind  that  because  his  horse  happens  to  be  a  good 
one,  he  is  not  necessarily  suited  to  any  and  every 
variety  of  vehicle. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

COACHMEX. 

UxDER  this  head  may  be  said  to  come  the  amateur 
coachman,  professional  coachman,  and  body  or  private 
coachman.  ''  The  amateur  coachman "  is  a  term 
known  to  all.  The  so-called  '•  professional  coach- 
man "  is  one  who,  having  graduated  from  the  lower 
schools,  makes  a  business  of  breaking  in  horses  to 
the  nicer  harness  work  and  of  instructing  in  driving, 
etc.  (this  term  may  be  equally  well  applied  to  head 
coachmen  generally). 

The  body  or  private  head  coachman  is  the  one 
with  whom  we  have  first  to  deal,  and  it  is  doubtful 
if  there  are  twenty-five  men  in  America  to-day  to 
whom  the  term  can  be  rightly  applied. 

There  are,  of  course,  a  great  many  men  who  con- 
sider themselves  coachmen  Avho,  though  they  may  be 
qualified  to  fill  the  positions  they  occupy,  have  not 
had  the  opportunities  of  learning  the  nice  points  of 
their  profession.  These  men  should  be  considered  as 
undercoachinen,  and  not  confused  Avith  the  finished 
masters  of  their  art. 

54 


COACHMEN.  55 

Most  of  tlie  so-ciilled  coachmen  in  this  country 
have  been  merely  strappers  in  their  stables  at  home, 
and.  havino-  launched  themselves  in  a  strano-e  land 
under  the  sobriquet  of  ''  coachmen,"  have  readily 
found  places  in  the  service  of  employers  who  were 
not  over-w^ell  informed,  and  often  at  wages  which 
none  but  experienced  men  should  command. 

A  head  coachman  becomes  such  after  years  of 
hard  training  under  a  master  (either  ]irofessional  or 
amateur)  who  is  thoroughly  posted,  and  then  only 
when  he  possesses  a  suitable  temperament,  hands, 
receptive  taculties,  application,  and  appearance,  to- 
gether with  the  ability  to  manage  men  and  the  edu- 
cation necessary  to  the  keeping  of  his  accounts,  etc. 
While,  of  course,  those  needing  a  servant  so  well  quaU- 
fied  as  a  head  coachman  should  be  are  not  numerous, 
they  are  sufficiently  so  to  warrant  a  sketch  of  some 
of  the  training  which  such  a  man  must  undergo. 

Beo'innino;  in  his  bovhood  as  exerciser,  and  later 
as  a  breaker  of  colts  to  saddle,  he  goes  through  a 
hard  and  somewhat  rough  school,  his  instructor  prob- 
ablv  beino-  considerable  of  a  martinet.  Then,  selected 
from  among  several  others  of  his  kind,  he  is  ad- 
vanced to  the  harness  stable,  where  for  some  time  he 
is  made  generally  useful  and  is  familiarized  with  the 
minor  details  of  stable  duties  ;  he  is  taught  how  to  walk 
smartly,  and  not  with  the  slouchy  step  of  the  plowboy, 


56  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

and  how  to  put  a  certain  snap  into  his  way  of  doing 
his  work.  By  degrees,  as  a  strapper,  the  cleaning  of 
horses,  harness,  carriages,  saddles,  bridles,  leathers,  and 
all  the  incidental  and  additional  duties  are  mastered, 
and  he  commences  his  career  as  a  groom  in  livery. 
In  this  capacity  he  has  to  learn  a  great  many  little 
niceties  as  to  the  proper  way  of  filling  the  positions 
of  tiger,  carriage,  and  pad  groom.  These  qualifications 
mastered,  he  is  passed  to  the  degree  of  uudercoach- 
man,  and  then,  if  he  is  to  be  further  advanced,  he 
must  be  sufficiently  interested  in  his  Avork  to  learn 
the  practical  care  of  the  horse  ;  his  feeding,  treat- 
ment, etc.,  in  case  of  sudden  sickness  (and  before  a 
veterinarian  can  be  summoned) ;  he  must  look  into 
horseshoeing  from  an  intelligent  standpoint,  so  that 
he  can  advise  with  the  farrier  as  to  the  correction  of 
some  defect  in  balance  or  in  action  ;  he  must  be  well 
posted  in  mouthing  and  bitting  as  applied  to  horses 
of  ditterent  temperaments ;  he  must  know  how  to 
harness  his  horses  properly,  and  how  to  drive  a 
single  horse,  a  pair,  a  tandem,  or  a  four,  in  a  fin- 
ished and  workmanlike  manner,  and,  finally,  he  must 
not  use  liquor  to  excess.  How  true  the  maxim  is, 
that  "  a  coachman  is  l)orn,  not  made  "  ;  for,  with  all 
the  recpiisite  making  here  outlined,  the  number  of 
men  with  the  keenness  and  ability  to  profit  by  such 
training  is  extremely  small. 


COACHMEN.  57 

Probably  after  reading  this  description  most  per- 
sons will  say:  "That  is  all  very  well,  but  it  is  too 
idealistic  for  me.  I  don't  believe  such  a  paragon 
exists." 

That  he  does  exist  in  America  is,  however,  a  fact, 
although  in  only  about  a  one-per-cent  ratio ;  and  it 
is  in  justice  to  such  men  that  some  discrimination 
should  be  made  in  the  use  of  the  word  "  coachman." 
Possibly  twenty-four  per  cent  of  our  so-called  coach- 
men are  really  deserving  of  the  title  "  under-coach- 
man,"  and  only  need  the  opportunities  to  qualify 
them  for  a  higher  sphere,  but  it  is  doubtful  if  the 
remaining  seventy-five  per  cent  will  ever  get  beyond 
the  stage  of  harnessing  one  or  a  pair  in  a  happy-go- 
lucky  way,  hauling  it  or  them  around  to  do  their 
employer's  bidding,  and  feeding  each  nag  four  quarts 
of  oats  three  times  a  day,  with  bran  mash  on  Satur- 
days. Such  men  can  only  be  called  "farmers"  or 
"  cowmilkers." 

Those  who  do  not  wish  to  keep  an  elaborate  but 
a  well-equipped  establishment,  must  therefore  draAV 
from  the  above-mentioned  twenty-four  per  cent;  but 
they  must  also  understand  that  the  men  who  will 
accept  small  places  generally  do  so  because  they 
have  not  the  necessary  qualifications  to  warrant  their 
filling  more  expeinenced  ones. 

It  is  often  a  wise   plan    for  au  amateur  of  means, 


58  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

Avho  wishes  to  work  to  the  top  of  the  ladder  him- 
self, to  employ  a  smart,  keen  man  of  this  type,  for, 
though  together  they  may  make  mistakes,  the  pleas- 
ure of  acquiring  knowledge  of  one's  own  experience 
is  sufficient  compensation. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  many  of  the  men  em- 
ployed as  coachmen  have  not  the  faintest  conception 
of  what  the  Avord  means  in  its  full  sense.  For  ex- 
ample, no  good  coachman,  amateur  or  professional, 
wUI  ever  lounge  on  his  box,  and  nothing  will  show  a 
man's  ignorance  sooner  than  such  behaviour.  A  well- 
trained  and  self-respecting  servant  will  never  smoke 
on  one  of  his  employer's  vehicles  when  in  livery 
(either  stable  or  dress). 

All  these  little  things  go  to  show  the  stamp  of  the 
man  ;  and  though  many  qyy  simply  through  ignorance 
of  the  proprieties  and  Avitii  no  intention  of  being 
insolent  (which  is  the  only  term  for  either  of  the 
performances  above  mentioned),  the  fact  of  their  so 
doing  shows  at  once  the  amount  of  training  they 
have  had.  So  it  is  right  through  the  list,  for  in 
numberless  little  ways  the  gold  can  be  distinguished 
from  the  dross,  and  almost  at  first  glance. 


CHAPTER  VIIT. 

HARNESS    AND    HARNESSING. 

There  are  many  nice  distinctions  which  go  toward 
making  a  harness  etiective  and  appropriate  to  its 
purpose. 

In  lieavy  harness  such  a  trifle  as  the  shape  of  a 
buckle  gives  character  to  the  whole.  The  horseshoe 
buckle,  for  example,  should  properly  be  used  on  all 
harnesses  which  are  intended  purely  for  sporting  driv- 
ing— namely,  the  tandem,  four-in-hand  road,  dogcart, 
exercising  gig,  etc.  This  class  of  harness  is  made  of 
single  leather  throughout,  or  of  double  leather  plainly 
stitched  :  it  is  furnished  with  what  is  called  a  ring 
draught  on  the  hames,  and  requires  the  use  of  suitable 
bits — namely,  the  plain  or  ring  snaffle,  elbow  cheek, 
Hanoverian  Pelham,  or  Liverpool.  The  collars  are 
straight  and  much  more  heavily  padded  than  those  for 
dress  use.  They  may  be  either  plain  black,  patent,  or 
broAvn  leather,  or  patent  leather  Avith  brown  leather 
fronts. 

Having  mentioned  the  sporting  bits,  it  may  be  well 
to  state   that  a  Buxton  or  gig  bit  with  bridoon  in    a 


60  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

harness,  calls  for  a  nousportiug  treatment  and  the 
highest  class  of  finish  throughout. 

At  the  end  of  the  chapter  on  Coaching  will  be 
found  rules  as  adopted  by  the  Coaching  Club  (of  New 
York),  which  include  a  definition  of  the  proper  harness 
for  the  park  and  road  four. 

The  diiference  between  harness  for  heavy  work 
and  that  adapted  to  the  light  trotting  or  road  wagon 
is  most  marked,  while  each  is  equally  a  work  of  art 
in  its  way.  A  few  harnesses  of  the  heavy  type  are 
illustrated  and  described  as  follows  : 


THE   RUNABOUT   HARNESS   (Plate  XXVII). 

This  harness  is  suited  to  any  light  nondescript  two 
or  four  wheeler. 

The  pad  is  not  as  heavy  as  in  the  brougham,  dog- 
cart, or  gig. 

The  English  tug  which  is  shown  is,  of  course,  used 
with  a  shaft  stop,  enabling  one  to  dispense  with  a 
breeching. 

It  is  intended  that  the  tug  girth  shall  lie  quite  snug. 
A  plain  English  bridle  Avith  squai'e  blinkers  looks  the 
tidiest  for  the  work,  and  almost  any  of  the  sporting 
styles  of  bit  may  be  used. 

The  collar  is  generally  made  fairly  light  and 
straight    with    plain    draught    hames,    but    a    shaped 


5 


rf 


q; 


-©  -^ 


HARNESS  AND  HARNESSING.  gl 

collar   with   plain   draui^hts   is   not   improper  in  a  run- 
about which  is  smartly  turned  out  for  town  use. 

The  single  bearing  rein  is  used  with  this  harness, 
which  comes  properly  under  the  "  semi-sporting " 
head. 

THE   SINGLE    BROUGHAM   HARNESS    (Plate   XXVIII). 

We  notice  first  the  Buxton  bit  in  the  bridle.  This 
bit  indicates  immediately  the  dressy  character  of  the 
harness.  We  find  a  neat,  fair-sized  pad  with  French 
loop  tugs,  so  made  that  the  shaft  is  kept  close  to  the 
horse's  side. 

The  collar  is  shaped  and  the  hames  have  plain 
draught  eyes. 

The  standing  martingale  is  the  correct  one.  It  will 
be  seen  that  this  harness  is  of  lined  leather  throuirhout, 
and  the  buckles,  etc.,  are  of  a  nousporting  shape. 

The  breeching,  Avhich  is  of  graceful  construction, 
is  supported  by  two  straps  which  meet  about  two 
thirds  of  the  way  up,  but  do  not  form  a  wide  expanse 
on  which  to  put  a  crest  or  monogi-am.  The  bridle 
front  is  one  of  the  most  refined  in  style,  and  is  in 
keeping  with  the  full  bearing  rein,  etc.  Either  square 
or  horseshoe  blinkers  are  proper. 


62  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

THE   GIG   HARNESS. 

The  difference  between  this  and  the  broiio;ham  har- 
ness is  sUght,  but  still  there  is  a  difference,  and  though 
the  two  harnesses  are  to  a  great  extent  similar,  there 
are  some  trifling  points  which  make  each  appropriate 
to  its  own  use. 

The  breeching  is  replaced  by  the  kicking  strap, 
which  may  be  used  or  dispensed  with  at  pleasure. 

The  gig  bit  with  plain  bridoon  and  short  bearing 
rein  is  a  trifle  the  more  proper  :  but  the  Buxton  bit 
and  full  bearing  rein  may  be   used. 

These  trifling  points  are  brought  out,  not  arbitra- 
rily, but  in  order  to  show  the  nice  details  which  go 
toward  making  a  successful  whole. 


THE   SINGLE   VICTORIA   HARNESS    (Plate   XXIX). 

Here  we  come  to  the  most  reflned  of  the  refined, 
to  the  most  dressy  of  the  dressy,  and,  in  tact,  to  a  har- 
ness wdiich  should  never  be  used  except  on  irreproach- 
able horseflesh,  and  then  only  when  the  general  ap- 
pointments are  in  keeping. 

A  close  observer  will  notice  all  the  nice  points  in 
which  this  harness  differs  from  its  predecessors,  par- 
ticularly as  to  the  shape  of  the  pad  and  blinkers. 

The    horse    to    carrv    such    a    harness    must    have 


<-0 


\ 

^ 


HARNESS  AND  HARNESSING.  63 

quality — it  can  cattily  be  seen  how  absurd  it  would 
look  on  a  coarse  one — and  lie  must  also  be  a  brilliant 
goer.  The  servant  must  be  spruceness  itself,  of  medium 
height,  and  slim.  The  carriage  must  be  on  graceful 
lines  and  painted  as  inconspicuously  as  possible. 

This   harness   can    also    be    used  on  a  smart  lady's 
phaeton. 


THE   PAIR-HORSE    BROUGHAM    HARNESS,   FOR   OFF   HORSE 

(Plate   XXX) ;  ALSO 
FOUR-HORSE    PARK    HARNESS    LEAD    AND    WHEEL,    NEAR 

SIDE    (Plate   XXXI). 

This  pair-horse  brougham  harness,  belonging  as  it 
does  to  the  more  dressy  class,  demands  the  Buxton 
or  gig  bit,  together  with  the  full  bearing  rein  and 
bridoon  ;  the  plain  kidney  link  and  plain  draught : 
loin  straps  and  lining  throughout,  etc.  The  billets  or 
loops  which  guard  the  trace  ends  should  never  be  of 
metal,  but  may  be  made  in  one  piece. 

Twisted  metal  for  the  hames,  terrets,  buckles,  etc., 
is  very  had  form  in  any  harness. 

The  brougham  harness  here  shown  differs  very 
slightly  in  appearance  from  the  wheel  set  of  a  four- 
in-hand  park  harness,  shoMn  in  Plate  XXXI.  The  use 
of  loin  straps  on  the  latter  is  a  somewhat  disputed 
point,  but  with  the  full  bearing  rein,  etc.,  they  are 
undoubtedly  correct,  while  not  nearly  as  attractive. 


64  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

The  park  wheel  harness  has  a  pad  terret  similar 
to  the  one  shown  in  the  road  four-in-hand  harness. 
The  wheeler's  bridle  has  overhead  rings,  besides  which 
the  outside  drop  on  the  throat  latch  is  made  double 
to  allow  of  the  rendering  of  the  reins  without  interfer- 
ence with  the  bearing  rein  ;  sometimes  the  lower  ring- 
has  a  revolving  bar  through  the  centre  to  make  the 
reins  run  more  freely.  Such  details,  however,  are 
purely  matters  of  fancy  on  the  part  of  the  coachman 
himself. 

FOUR-IN-HAND   ROAD   HARNESS   (Plates  XXXII  and 

XXXIII). 

The  bits,  being  so  clearly  shown  in  the  photograph, 
we  will  consider  as  an  illustration  of  the  type,  and  will 
proceed  at  once  to  a  discussion  of  the  difference  be- 
tween this  harness  and  that  for  park  use,  taking  each 
point  in  order. 

The  bridle  is  made  for  full  (or  long)  bearing  reins 
in  the  park,  for  short  bearing  reins  in  the  road  (often 
dispensed  with  altogether  in  the  latter). 

The  bits  are  "  dress "  versus  "  sporting."  The 
bridle  fronts  quiet  in  park,  bold  in  road.  No  face 
pieces  in  road.  The  other  parts  require  a  somewhat 
more  explanatory  treatment. 

The  park  hames  have  full  kidney  links  which  open 
with  a  hinge  at  the  top.     These  openings   enable  one 


^ 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  65 

to  pass  the  link  through  the  eyes  on  the  ends  of  the 
hames. 

The  road  harness  has  a  short  link  with  a  chain 
attached  to  it.  This  hnk  is  passed  through  the  eye 
which  is  on  the  end  of  the  inner  jmrt  of  the  hames, 
and  the  chain  is  hooked  over  the  hook  which  is  on 
their  outer  part.  This  arrangement  enables  one  to  fit 
the  hames  to  collars  differing  widely  in  size  with 
greater  expedition. 

In  the  park  wheel  harness  generalhj,  and  in  the 
road  wheel  harness  always,  the  point  of  the  martin- 
gale should  be  of  sufficient  length  to  allow  of  its  going 
completely  around  the  collar,  thereby  guarding  against 
the  slipping  of  the  hames.  The  ring  draught  is  better 
suited  to  road  work,  and  is  less  liable  to  cause  sore 
shoulders.  Oftentimes  in  a  road  harness  the  trace 
itself  is  stitched  into  the  ring  instead  of  l)eing  fastened 
by  a  clip,  but  this  method  is  more  clumsy. 

Quite  a  noticeable  difference  between  the  two 
harnesses  lies  in  the  tug  straps.  In  the  park  har- 
ness the  trace  buckle  has  a  small  extra  eye  top 
and  bottom,  into  which  the  "  Newmarket "  tug  and 
guide  straps  are  st'dehed  (they  are  sometimes  stitched 
into  the  buckle  itself).  The  eye  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  trace  buckle  carries  a  short  strap  with  a  buckle 
end,  into  which  the  point  of  a  strap  stitched  to 
the     pad     is     fastened.        This    makes      a     somewhat 


66  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

neater    finish     than     the    full     strap     used     in     road 
work. 

The  latter  is  simply  a  plain  straight  strap  made 
with  one  or  two  billets  or  loops  to  keep  it  in 
place.  The  point  is  passed  through  the  upper  side 
of  the  trace  buckle  from  outside  in,  then  through 
the  ring  on  the  pad  from  inside  out,  and  back  to 
its  own  buckle,  thus  bringing  the  point  down.  Prac- 
tically the  only  remaining  difference,  beyond  the 
general  distinctions  between  dress  and  road  harness, 
previously  described,  lies  in  the  trace  ends.  The  park 
traces  have  square  metal  ends,  and  the  road  traces 
have  either  stitched  loops  (called  French  loops)  or 
chain  ends.  The  loops  are  more  practical  for  quick 
changing. 

TANDEM    HARNESS     (Plate  XXXIV). 

The  accompanying  photograph  portrays  an  excel- 
lent example  of  a  tandem  harness  in  the  accepted 
sense  of  the  word. 

The  tandem  is  a  purely  sporting  equipage,  and  is 
really  not  suited  to  park  work,  pure  and  simple. 
However,  as  the  tendency  during  the  past  few  years 
seems  to  have  been  toward  the  separation  of  the 
tandem  into  road  and  park  types,  it  may  be  as 
well  to  state  that  the  harness  here  shown  will  come 
under  the  head  of  "Suitable  for  the  Road." 


CQ 


^ 
H 


''    >. 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  67 

The  park  harness  would  presumably  be  evolved 
on  the  Buxton  and  gig  bit  system  as  previously  de- 
scribed. In  other  words,  the  general  refinements 
which  accompany  these  bits   would  be  applied. 

It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  go  into  the  various 
details  in  descriptive  form,  for  the  illustration  is  ex- 
ceedingly clear.  It  may  be  well,  however,  to  call  at- 
tention to  the  breast  collar,  which  hangs  in  the  centre 
beneath  the  bridle. 

This  looks  very  sporting  for  the  road  leader  of  a 
breedy  stamp,  with  a  good  shoulder  and  long,  clean- 
cut  neck.  The  old  print  Going  to  Cover,  which  is 
probably  one  of  the  best  illustrations  of  a  tandem, 
shows  this  collar  in  use  with  good  effect. 

The  hame  collars  shown  in  the  photograph  are  of 
patent  leather  with  brown  leather  fronts.  This  is 
not  a  necessity,  but  is  rather  a  smart  characteristic. 
To  correspond  with  the  collars,  the  pad  is  what  is 
called  "  basil-faced " ;  in  other  words,  it  has  a  nar- 
row rim  of  brown  leather  showing  beyond  the  patent 
leather  in  both  front  and  rear. 

Two  or  three  bridle  fronts  are  shown,  any  of 
which  may  be  used  according  to   individual  taste. 

The  elbow  cheek  bit  is  probably  the  most  correct 
of  any  for  this  purpose,  and  the  shape  of  the  blink- 
ers in  the  photograph  is  a  trifle  better  adapted  to 
tandem  work  than  any  other. 


68  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  this  harness  has  ring  draught 
hames,  together  with  horseshoe  buckles.  The  hames 
themselves  are  made  mainly  of  brass,  but  the  hooks 
at  the  throat  of  the  collar,  the  shoulders  which 
carry  the  rings,  together  with  the  rings  themselves, 
are  of  steel,  which  must  be  kept  burnished.  The 
eyes  on  the  wheeler's  trace  buckles,  into  which  the 
leader's  traces  are  snapped,  are  also  of  steel. 


POLE   CHAINS    VERSUS  POLE   PIECES. 

This  point  seems  to  be  very  little  understood  in 
this  country.  The  pole  chain  is  for  use  on  carriages 
intended  for  their  ow^iers'  driving  alone.  They  should 
not  be  used  on  any  carriage  to  be  driven  by  a  serv- 
ant. The  proper  chain  for  sporting  work  is  a  plain 
single  oval  link  with  a  single  snap  hook  at  either 
end,  or  with  a  ring  or  delta  in  one  end  and  a  snap 
hook  in  the  other.  The  links  in  chains  intended  for 
purely  park  driving  are  made  a  little  more  square  in 
shape,  and  have  a  single  snap  hook  in  each  end. 
Twisted  or  double  chains  or  double  snap  hooks 
should  never  be  used ;  the  latter  allow  of  the  drop- 
ping of  two  or  three  links — a  most  reprehensible 
practice,  hence  the  "clanking  pole  chains." 

Many  owners  of  ]irivate  stables  are  so  occupied 
as  to   be    unable    to    give    them    the    necessary    super- 


2  5: 


-J     a 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  69 

vision  or  attention,  and  in  consequence  the  manage- 
ment  of  all    the  details  must  be  left  to  servants. 

Those  who  have  sufficient  leisure  will  find  occupa- 
tion for  many  pleasant  hours  in  "  fussing  "  about  their 
stables,  considering  whether  the  harness  appears  to  the 
best  advantage  when  hung  this  way  or  that,  whether 
this  or  that  horse's  tail  is  properly  trimmed,  whether 
the  shoeing  has  been  attended  to,  and  so  on. 

A  man  Avho  drives  tandem  or  four-in-hand  should 
take  down  his  whip  and  catch  a  few  double  thongs, 
not  only  to  keep  his  hand  in,  but  to  be  sure  the 
thong  is  soft  and  mellow. 

Many  grooms  hang  their  whips  when  they  come 
in  and  leave  them  until  just  before  they  are  needed 
for  use,  when  thev  run  over  the  thongs  with  a  little 
pipe  clay.  This  course  makes  a  thong  feel  like  pipe- 
clayed wire.  Not  only  is  it  impossible  to  catch  a 
thong  properly  when  it  is  in  this  condition,  but  the 
tendency  is  to  take  the  heart  out  of  the  leather,  thus 
causing  it  to  break  at  inopportune  moments. 

The  very  best  treatment  for  a  thong  is  to  have  it 
rubbed  with  a  bullock's  heart  once  a  week  or  so.  It 
can  be  dressed  down  in  the  meantime  with  mutton 
tallow  or  saddle  soap. 

The  thong  should  always  be  so  soft  and  pliable 
as  to  admit  of  doubling  it  sharply  between  the  thumb 
and  forefinger   without   apparent   displacement  of  the 


70  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

plaits.  When  in  this  condition  it  Avill  ding  to  the 
stick  if  well  thrown,  and  can  therefore  be  used,  as 
it  is  intended,  for  double  thonging  the  wheelers. 

It  is  well  to  watch  the  horses  put  to  occasionally, 
for  very  few  grooms  do  this  properly.  In  harnessing 
a  pair  of  horses  unaided,  a  good  coachman  proceeds 
about  as  follows : 

Leading  out  his  horses  alternately,  he  puts  the 
harness  on  qu'ieil;/,  backing  each  horse  when  har- 
nessed into  a  standing  stall  and  fastening  him  by 
both  pillar  reins,  throwing  a  rug  over  his  loins  if  the 
temperature  demands  it.  Then,  after  glancing  over 
his  carriage  to  see  that  all  is  in  readiness,  he  goes 
to  dress. 

Let  us  glance  for  a  moment  at  the  horses  as  they 
stand  in  their  stalls  w4th  the  harness  on.  We  find 
the  general  appearance  good.  The  martingale,  which 
is  often  slouchily  buckled  on  the  outer  edge  of  the 
kidney  link,  is  in  this  case  either  around  the  collar 
or  between  the  inner  edge  of  the  kidnev  link  and 
the  collar.  All  the  other  parts  look  properly 
fitted. 

The  traces  are  thrown  over  the  horses'  backs  so 
that  the  outside  trace  on  both  the  near  and  the 
off  horse  come  on  top.  The  outside  or  draught  rein 
is  buckled  into  its  bit,  and  we  notice  that  the  bits 
hang    easily    and    comfortably,    the    mouthpieces    rest- 


IS     « 

II 


:? 


10 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  71 

ing  lightly  on  the  plate  of  the  mouth,  not  drawing 
the  corners  all  out  of  shape  and  thereby  torturing 
the  poor  beasts. 

The  inside  or  coupling  rein  is  buckled  into  the 
noseband,  buckle  up,  the  jjoint  not  being  passed 
through  the  billet.  The  horse  is  led  to  his  place 
by  this  coupling  rein,  to  avoid  touching  the  bit. 

The  fit  of  the  collars  is  another  most  important 
point,  and  can  not  be  too  carefully  attended  to ;  they 
should  not  only  be  of  proper  length,  but  should 
also  fit  the  horses'  shoulders  to  a  nicety.  Each 
horse  should  have  his  own  collar  made  for  him. 
When  the  harness  is  put  on,  the  collar  should  be 
stretched  over  the  knee  and  put  over  the  horse's 
head  gently  and  comfortably  to  the  animal.  The 
hames,  pad,  etc.,  should  be  put  on  afterward.  One 
often  sees  a  groom  forcing  a  tight  collar  over  a 
horse's  head  with  the  hames  buckled  to  it  so  that 
there  is  no  yielding  whatever.  Is  it  to  be  wondered 
that  those  horses  run  back  when  the  collars  are  held 
up  before  their  faces  ? 

The  coachman  has  by  this  time  returned,  dressed, 
except  as  to  his  coat,  hat,  and  gloves,  and  is  wearing 
an  apron  to  protect  his  immaculate  white  breeches. 
Leading  his  horses  out  by  the  noseband  or  coupling 
rein,  he  places  them  alongside  the  pole  and  buckles 
the  coupling  reins ;  he    then    passes    the    near    horse's 


72  DRIVING  FOE  PLEASURE. 

pole  piece  (strap)  and  buckles  it  in  the  point  hole, 
which  should  he  within  six  or  eisilit  inches  of  the 
point. 

When  the  final  poling-uj)  is  done  the  hole  is,  or 
should  be,  concealed  by  the  carrier  loops.  (Nothing 
looks  worse  than  to  see  the  point  of  any  strap  sticking 
out  some  distance  beyond  the  billet  or  loop  which  is 
intended  as  a  guard  for  it ;  besides  which,  it  is  really 
dangerous  in  some  cases.  A  projecting  back  strap  on 
a  four-in-hand  lead  harness  is  apt  to  catch  the  coup- 
lings, and  trouble  is  quite  likely  to  ensue.) 

The  off  horse  being  thus  loosely  poled  up,  he  fiistens 
the  traces,  the  outside  one  first,  then  the  inside,  re- 
peating this  with  the  near  horse. 

The  outside  trace  is  fastened  first  to  avoid  acci- 
dent, for  when  the  opposite  is  done  a  spirited  horse 
is  quite  liable  to  Avhip  around  suddenly,  and,  with 
his  inside  trace  fastened,  may  make  things  awk- 
ward. 

For  a  somewhat  similar  reason  the  pole  pieces  are 
fastened  loosely  before  the  traces.  Many  consider 
this  an  unnecessary  jjrecaution,  but  let  them  think  a 
moment. 

Suppose  that  the  last  trace  has  just  been  fastened, 
and  the  pole  pieces  not  even  caught  up.  The  oft' 
horse  chancing  to  take  a  step  forward  brings  the 
splinter    bar    in    contact    with    his    mate's    haunches. 


a    3: 


"3 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  7;^ 

What  is  the  natural  result  of  such  a  performance, 
Avith  horses  that  have  any  life  ? 

The  traces  being  properly  fastened,  the  coachman 
proceeds  to  "  pole  them  up,"  and  in  this  work  the 
judgment  of  the  true  coachman  shows  to  advantage. 
The  pole  pieces  should  neither  be  too  tight  nor  too 
loose,  but  it  requires  something  of  an  artist  to  find 
the  happy  medium. 

Some  coachmen  have  an  exceedingly  faulty  way 
of  fastening  their  pole  pieces  ;  they  twist  the  kidney 
link  ring,  and  then,  by  passing  the  point  of  the  strap 
upward  through  it,  bring  the  buckle  on  top.  This 
method  makes  an  ugly  distortion  of  the  leather,  be- 
sides weakening  it  by  unnecessary  side  chafing. 

The  pole  pieces  should  be  put  through  the  kidney 
link  ring  from  the  inside  out  (the  ring  hanging  in  its 
natural  position).  This  brings  the  buckle  into  its 
proper  place  at  the  side,  and  the  whole  piece  leads 
fair  from  the  pole  head,  instead  of  showing  what  a 
sailor  would  describe  as  a   "lubber's  twist." 

The  horses  being  properly  poled  up,  the  coachman 
throws  the  hand  piece  of  the  near  rein  with  the  buckle 
end  across  the  off  horse's  back,  and,  walking  around 
to  the  off  side,  buckles  the  ends  of  the  reins  together. 
Then,  doubling  the  hand  pieces,  he  takes  the  bight,  or 
portion  of  the  reins  at  the  doubling  point,  and  passes 
it  through  the   oflP  pad   terret   and  over  the  bearing- 


74  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

rein  hook  ;  the  reins  are  tlien  in  a  position  to  be  easily 
taken  for  use,  and  are  so  placed  that  they  are  not 
liable  to  fall  to  the  ground. 

This  done,  he  runs  over  his  harness  vith  a  dry 
chamois,  and  brushes  his  horses'  manes  with  the  water 
brush.  He  then  removes  his  apron,  and,  putting  on 
his  coat,  hat,  and  gloves,  bears  up  his  horses  and  is 
ready  to  start  out  quietly. 

Bearing  reins  are  very  necessary  to  almost  all  town 
driving,  but  they  are  to  be  used,  not  abused.  They 
should  be  put  on  so  as  to  keep  the  horse's  head  in  its 
natural  position,  to  prevent  rubbing  the  bridle  oif  or 
catching  the  cross  bar  of  the  bit  when  standing. 

All  lovers  of  horseflesh  should  be  thankful  that  the 
heathenish  custom  of  bearing  a  horse  up  outrageously 
high  is  very  little  practised  now. 

The  method  to  be  pursued  in  the  harnessing  of  a 
four-in-hand  is  similar  to  that  of  a  pair  of  horses,  but 
there  should  always  be  at  least  two  men  to  do  it. 

The  chain  which  is  used  in  place  of  the  pole  piece 
should  be  snapped  into  the  kidney  link  (of  course  we 
presume  one  end  of  the  chain  to  have  been  either 
snapped  into  or  made  fast  to  the  pole  head). 

Experience  teaches  us  that  the  wheelers'  inside 
traces  require  to  be  a  trifle  shorter  than  the  outside 
(about  half  a  hole),  to  make  the  draught  even.  This 
is  best  accomplished  by  having  the  inside  roller  bolts 


Plate  XXXI l^:   Tandem  Harness. 


HARNESS  AND   HARNESSING.  75 

covered  Avitli  sufficient  leuther  to  take  up  the  neces- 
sary amount  of  the  traces.  This  makes  extra  holes 
in  the  traces  unnecessary  and  avoids  their  consequent 
weakenino;. 

The  wheelers  being  properly  put  to,  the  leaders 
are  brought  up  and  coupled,  their  reins  passed  through 
the  wheel  turrets,  the  near  one  thrown  to  the  off 
wheeler's  pad.  The  traces  are  then  fastened  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  pair-horse  work,  except  that  many 
lap  or  cross  their  inside  traces  instead  of  brinoinir 
them  direct  to  their  natural  places.  All  this  is  a  mat- 
ter of  personal  fancy  or   experience. 

The  lead  bars  should  never  be  fastened  together 
with  a  chain  or  link,  as  is  sometimes  seen.  This 
method  might  lead  to  the  pei-manent  injury  of  a  horse 
were  he  to  kick  and  get  his  leg  between  the  main 
and  side  bars.  A  strap  may,  however,  be  used  for 
this  purpose  with  perfect  propriety. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DRIVING. 

There  are  so  many  authorities  who  have  treated  the 
subject  of  driving  thoroughly,  that  an  extensive  disser- 
tation thereon  is  out  of  place.  It  may  be  well,  how- 
ever, to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  driving,  as  in 
everything  else,  there  is  a  right  and  a  wrong  way.  It 
is  much  easier  to  commence  properly  than  to  correct 
bad  habits. 

It  is  therefore  Avise  for  a  man  who  has  had 
little  or  no  experience  to  employ  a  competent  in- 
structor. 

The  seat  on  the  box  is  the  first  thing  to  be  learned  ; 
after  that,  the  manner  of  holding  the  reins  and  whip, 
and  their  proper  manipulation. 

The  pupil  must  understand  that  the  horse  is  not  a 
machine,  to  which  a  certain  amount  of  pressure  is  to 
be  constantly  applied  in  order  to  bring  forth  the  neces- 
sary response. 

The  instructor  will  teach  him  to  hold  the  hand  quite 
close  to  the  centre  of  the  body,  with  the  wrist  slightly 
bent  inward,  the  elbow  nearly  touching  the  side.     In 

76 


DRIVING.  77 

this  position  he  will  find  it  difficnlt,  unless  he  is  a 
powerful  man,  to  apjily  a  great  amount  of  brute  force 
to  the  reins.  The  hand  and  arm  so  placed  form,  as 
it  Avere,  a  spring  between  the  horse's  mouth  and  the 
driver,  thus  precluding,  to  a  great  extent,  the  possi- 
bihty  of  making  a  puller  (either  man  or  horse). 

It  is  for  this  very  reason  that  the  American 
system  of  driving  with  a  rein  in  each  hand  (except 
possibly  in  the  case  of  trotting  horses)  is  to  be  depre- 
cated, because  it  inclines  one  to  pull  steadily  against 
the  bit,  which  sooner  or  later  is  sure  to  make  the 
horse  a  puller. 

As  the  pupil  advances  from  single  and  pair  horse 
work  to  the  four-in-hand  school,  it  may  be  well  to  call 
his  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  mere  "  herding  "  of 
four  horses  over  a  road,  even  wuth  a  fair  amount  of 
form,  is  not  driving,  although  it  constantly  passes  for 
such. 

The  true  coachman  must  study  the  individual  char- 
acteristics of  his  horses,  in  order  to  bit  and  couple  them 
to  the  best  advantage.  He  must  know  how  they  are 
feeding,  for  in  a  team  (of  four  horses)  it  is  nothing  un- 
usual to  have  one  horse  which  is  slightly  off,  and  there- 
fore requires  a  certain  amount  of  what  a  coachman 
calls  "  babying." 

Nothing  will  give  one  more  practice  in  work  of  this 
sort  than  the  driving  of  a  loaded  coach  thirty  or  forty 


78  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

miles  a  day,  for  several  consecutive  days,  over  our 
indifferent  roads  with  the  same  team.* 

Driving,  by  the  Duke  of  Beaufoi't,  covers  the  subject 
quite  fully,  and  Howlett,  in  his  Driving  Lessons,  gives 
an  excellent  and  practical  illustration  of  what  we  are 
about  to  describe.  Swales,  in  his  book,  Driving,  as  I 
have  Found  It,  gives  some  of  the  best  sketches  extant, 
showing  the  positions  of  the  hands,  with  both  two  and 
four  reins.  Captain  C.  IMorley  Knight,  in  his  Hints 
on  Driving,  also  gives  some  very  good  suggestions.  It 
would  be  well  for  any  amateur  coachman  to  read  all 
these  books  at  length,  as  they  will  undoubtedly  prove 
of  service  to  him. 

Assuming  the  would-be  coachman  to  be  familiar 
with  the  method  of  holding  his  reins  and  proficient  in 
the  use  of  his  whip,  let  him  walk  quietly  up  to  his  off" 
wheeler.  He  finds  the  hand  pieces  of  the  reins  either 
looped  over  the  pad  terret  or  with  the  bight  pushed 
under  the  tug  strap.  The  whip  is  either  in  the  whip 
bucket  or  is   laid  across  the  wheelers'  backs,  both  of 

*  In  1884  the  author  drove  his  coach,  with  the  same  team,  776  miles  in 
exactly  a  month  ;  starting  from  Long  Island  and  driving  up  the  Connecti- 
cut River  Valley,  over  the  White  and  Green  Mountains,  through  the  Berk- 
shire Hills,  and  down  the  Hudson  River  to  New  York.  The  distance  was 
taken  from  an  odometer,  of  which  a  careful  record  was  kept  by  one  of  the 
party.  Hardly  one  month  later  the  team  competed  in  the  National  Horse 
Show  and  won  a  number  of  prizes.  The  coach  loaded  weighed  something 
over  five  thousand  pounds,  there  being  eight  in  the  party,  besides  three  serv- 
ants and  the  luggage. 


DRIVING.  79 

whicli  metliods  are  well  supported  by  competent  author- 
ities. Standing  a  little  behind  the  oif  wheeler's  pad,  he 
faces  a  trifle  toward  the  leaders  and  pulls  the  reins  from 
their  restino;  places,  straightening  them  out  carefully 
and  separating  lead  from  wheel.  He  then  shortens  the 
wheel  reins  gently  until  he  all  but  feels  his  wheelers' 
mouths,  proceeding  in  the  same  manner  with  the  lead 
reins.  He  should  avoid  actually  taking  hold  of  his 
horses'  mouths,  for  the  giving  them  an  "  ofl&ce,"  as  it 
were,  will  make  them  restive.  The  reins  being  held  in 
their  proper  position  in  the  left  hand,  our  friend  takes 
up  his  whip  (if  on  the  wheelers'  backs)  with  his  right 
hand  and  transfers  his  i-eins  from  his  left  to  his  right. 

He  will  note  carefully  the  position  of  his  leaders  as 
to  the  lead  bars,  realizing  that  to  this  he  must  suit  his 
length  of  rein  in  starting. 

Being  now  ready  to  mount  the  box,  he  throws  the 
ends  of  the  reins  over  his  right  arm  to  keep  them  out  of 
harm's  Avay,  gradually  letting  his  off  reins  slip  through 
his  fingers  to  suit  his  change  of  position.  (This  method 
differs  somewhat  from  that  shown  in  Howlett's  illustra- 
tion, but  will  be  found  equally  practical,  as  it  allows 
the  coachman  to  be  in  touch  with  his  horses  from 
the  time  he  takes  up  his  reins.) 

He  grasps  the  handle  of  the  footboard  with  his  right 
hand,  then,  putting  his  left  foot  on  the  hub  of  the  wheel, 
his  right  on  the  roller  bolt,  and  grasping  the  box  rail 


80  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

with  his  left  hand,  he  mounts  the  box.  He  remains 
standing  only  long  enough  to  shift  his  reins  from  his 
right  hand  to  his  left.  This  done,  he  sits  firmly  on  his 
cushion,  letting  the  ends  of  his  reins  fall  to  the  left  of 
his  knees.  Assuring  himself  that  he  has  a  proper  pres- 
sure on  each  rein,  he  warns  his  load  that  he  is  about  to 
start,  and,  with  a  nod  to  the  men  at  the  horses'  heads, 
he  gently  feels  his  leaders'  mouths  to  put  them  on  the 
alert.  This  will  bring  them  to  their  bits  with  their 
traces  hanging  easily.  The  wheelers  are  then  given 
their  office,  and,  if  the  team  is  a  handy  one,  they  will 
go  up  to  their  collars,  and  with  a  word  of  encour- 
agement, together  Avith  the  slightest  dropping  of  the 
hand,  the  whole  team  will  start  the  coach  without  any 
plunging  or  jibbing. 

It  is  very  unworkmanlike  (unless  absolutely  neces- 
sary) to  let  the  leaders  start  the  coach  witli  the  Avheel- 
ers  not  in  their  collars  ;  and  it  is  nearly  as  bad  to  see 
the  wheelers  shoving  the  bars  on  the  leaders'  haunches. 
Many  a  young  coachman  feels  that  he  wants  to  start 
out  with  a  flourish  and  all  on  the  jump.  He  will  learn, 
however,  that  the  good  coachman  gets  under  way  as 
quietly  as  possible,  in  order  to  accustom  his  horses  to 
working  in  unison.  It  is  all  well  enough  on  the  smooth, 
level  road,  but  let  the  start  be  up  a  steep  hill  with  a 
heavy  load,  and  we  will  see  our  young  friend's  horses 
rearing  and  jibbing,  but  making  no  progress,  while  the 


DRIVING.  81 

quietly  driven  team  starts  oif  together  without  apjxir- 
ent  effort.  Our  young  friend  Avill  probably  say,  "  Oh, 
my  horses  are  so  high-strung!"  But  if  he  thinks  over 
the  matter  he  will  })robably  recollect  that  he  dropped 
his  hand  suddenly,  giving  each  horse  full  rein,  at  the 
same  time  flourishing  his  whip  or  giving  a  loud  cluck. 
His  horses  with  different  degrees  of  promptness  sprang 
to  their  work,  and,  finding  a  solid  w^eight  too  great  for 
any  one  of  them  to  start  alone,  began  the  seesaw  act. 
When  once  a  team  is  in  this  condition,  the  only  thing 
to  do  is  to  quiet  them  down  ;  let  them  stand  a  few 
moments,  and  then  see  if  they  can't  be  started  by 
more  temperate  management. 

Many  a  young  coachman  will  miscalculate  the  dis- 
tance in  which  the  pulling  up  of  a  team  can  be  com- 
fortably accompUshed,  and  will  be  quite  surprised  to 
tind  that  it  takes  some  little  experience  to  acquire 
judgment  in  so  doing. 

The  horses  coming  up  at  a  round  trot  should  be 
slowed  gradually,  l)ut  not  taken  back  to  a  walk  a 
few  feet  short  of  the  spot,  nor  brought  up  so  fast 
that  they  will  either  require  to  be  thrown  on  their 
haunches  or  allowed  to  go  some  distance  beyond  their 
objective  point  before  they  are  brought  to  a  stop. 

How^lett  gives  a  most  excellent  illustration  of  the 
method  of  making  what  he  calls  a  "  dead  stop." 

Nimrod,   in    his    chapter  on    Gentlemen   Coachmen, 

11 


82  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

in  Annals  of  the  Road,  gives  another  method,  Mhich, 
while  not  <|nite  as  finished  in  appearance,  is  most 
practical  and  workmanlike ;  we  will  quote  it  for  the 
convenience  of  our  readers.  "  When  all  four  horses 
are  to  be  restrained  at  once,  almost  all  coachmen 
draw  all  the  reins  through  their  fingers  at  the  same 
moment.  This  is  not  the  way  to  do  it,  for  here  your 
horses'  mouths  are  lost.  The  coachman  should  change 
his  hands  thus :  He  should  open  the  fingers  of  his 
right  hand  and  put  the  reins  into  them,  about  two 
inches  in  front  of  his  left  hand,  and  then  catch  them 
again  with  his  left  by  passing  it  beyond  his  right.  By 
this  plan  his  horses'  mouths,  as  I  have  said  before,  are 
not  lost,  which  they  would  otherwise  be.  T  am  in- 
debted to  Jack  Peer  for  this  wrinkle,  which  I  briefiy 
noted  in  my  last." 

The  team  being  finally  pulled  up,  the  coachman 
shifts  his  reins  from  his  left  to  his  right  hand,  taking 
them  short  enouoh  to  allow  of  their  reaching  com- 
fortably  to  the  handle  of  the  footboard,  not  so  slack 
that  they  will  fret  the  wheelers,  and  throws  the  ends 
of  his  reins  over  his  right  arm.  He  now  ])uts  his  left 
foot  backward  to  the  step  on  the  boot,  grasping  mean- 
while the  box  rail  with  his  left  hand,  then  lowers  him- 
self until  his  right  foot  is  jilaced  on  the  rollei'  bolt,  at 
the  same  time  grasping  the  handle  on  the  footboard 
with  his  right  hand  :  then  })lacing  his  left  foot  on  the 


DRIVING.  g3 

hub  of  the  wheel,  lie  descends  to  mother  earth  hold- 
ing the  reins  and  wliip  liii;'h  enough  to  prevent  their 
annoying  the  wheelers.  He  now  assumes  the  position 
first  described  in  taking  up  the  reins,  and  shifts  his 
reins  from  his  right  to  his  left  hand,  lays  his  Avhip 
over  the  wheelers'  backs,  and  draws  the  bight  of  the 
reins  through  the  loop  of  the  tug,  when  his  labours 
are  at  an  end. 

It  is  necessary  for  a  true  coachman  to  know  the 
component  parts  of  his  harness  thoroughly,  be  it  single 
or  pair-horse,  tandem  or  four-horse. 

The  best  way  to  become  familiar  with  the  different 
parts  is  to  have  the  harness  placed  in  a  heaj),  every 
strap  unbuckled,  then  to  put  it  together  unassisted. 
This  will  jirobably  take  some  considerable  time,  but 
observation  will  show"  reasons  for  the  existence  of  cer- 
tain parts  which  seem  useless. 

If  any  part  of  the  harness  seems  unduly  chafed  as 
compared  with  the  rest,  it  is  prol)al>ly  due  to  bad  fit- 
ting. The  ability  to  remedy  such  a  defect  will  afford 
some  satisfaction. 


CHAPTER  X. 

LIVERIES,    HORSE    CLOTHING,    ETC. 

There  is  very  little  to  be  said  on  this  subject, 
as  the  accoinpanying  photographs  show  the  desired 
points  far  more  clearly  than  mere  verbal    description. 

The  coachman's  livery,  shown  in  Plates  XXXV 
and  XXXVI,  Avill  be  seen  to  diiter  from  that  of  the 
groom,  shown  in  Plates  XXXVII  and  XXXVIII.  in 
a  few  details.  For  example,  the  coachman's  body 
coat  should  have  six  buttons  in  front  and  flaps  on 
the  pockets,  two  buttons  at  the  waist  behind  and 
two  very  near  the  bottom  of  the  skirt.  The  groom's 
body  coat  should  have  five  or  six  buttons  in  front, 
no  flaps  to  the  pockets,  and  six  buttons  behind,  gen- 
erally ])laced  as  in  Plate  XXXVIII.  Two  very  ex- 
cellent examples  of  the  above  liveries  are  shown,  as 
they  vary  a  little  in  some  trifling  ways.  It  will  be 
noticed,  however,  that  in  both  examples  the  coach- 
man's coat  is  quite  a  bit  longer  in  the  skirt  than 
that  of  the  groom.  All  of  the  boots  shown  here 
are  good  examples,  and  have  not  the  tendency  to 
fall    down    aiul    disappear   like    the    bellows   of  an  ae- 

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LIVEEIES,  H0R8E  C'L(^TIIING,  ETC.  §5 

cordioii,  wliich  is  often  noticed.  The  l)reeche.s  are 
all  well-made  leathers,  and  on  the  average  well 
})ut  on.  The  upper  buttons  at  the  knees  should  in- 
variably be  placed  in  a  hollow  which  is  found  on 
the  outside  of  the  til)ia  and  just  below  the  patella 
or  kneecap.  These  liveries  all  happen  to  have  velvet 
collars ;  they  are  simply  a  matter  of  individual  taste. 
Cockades  should  be  woin  only  when  the  owner  is  a 
member  of  the  army,  navy,  or  diplomatic  corps. 
Shoulder  knots  and  fancy  collars  and  cutfs  are  not 
in  the  best  of  form.  It  may  be  well  here  to  state 
that  a  footman  in  house  livery  is  quite  proper  on  a 
lady's  carriage,  especially  when  the  carriage  is  an  open 
one. 

Plate  XXXIX  shows  a  coachman  and  groom  in 
greatcoats,  and  the  same  features  will  be  found 
here  as  in  the  body  coats,  except  that,  as  the  coat 
buttons  to  the  neck,  the  coachman's  coat  has  gen- 
erally two  rows  of  seven  buttons  and  that  of  the 
groom  two  row\s  of  six  buttons,  but  they  may  have 
the  same  number. 

As  a  general  rule  a  coachman's  greatcoat  should 
come  a  trifle  below  the  top  of  his  boots,  and  that 
of  the  groom  to  the  upper  button  of  his  l)reeches 
wlicn  placed  as  before  described.  Plate  T,  in  the 
chapter  on  Coaching,  gives  a  very  good  example  of 
a  guard's  livery. 


86  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

Plate  XL  shows  two  styles  of  stable  clothes  or 
undress  liveries.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
where  a  roundabout  coat  is  used  the  low  hat  is 
appropriate,   and  the  high   one   with  the  tail  coat. 

We  oive  here  a  list  of  the  articles  with  which 
each  servant  should   be  equipped : 

One  silk  hat ;  one  felt  storm  hat,  or  second  hat 
dressed  for  purpose ;  one  Derby ;  one  suit  of  stable 
clothes,  made  either  of  whipcord  or  tweed ;  one 
sleeved  waistcoat ;  one  heavy  cover  coat ;  one  stable 
cap ;  one  mackintosh  (or  an  upper  Benjamin) ;  one 
dozen  collars ;  one  dozen  neckcloths  ;  one  livery  body 
coat ;  one  stripped  Valencia  waistcoat  (with  sleeves) ; 
one  livery  great  coat;  one  pair  of  trousers  to  match 
same  (for  occasioiiol  use  in  the  morning  or  at  night) ; 
one  pair  leathers  (or  cloth  breeches) ;  one  pair  top 
boots,  with  trees  for  same  ;  one  pair  dogskin  gloves ; 
one  pair  heavy  wool-lined  gloves ;  one  pair  woolen 
gloves ;  one  pair  breeches  trees. 


HORSE   CLOTHING. 

Plate  XLI  shows  a  horse  in  undress  or  nia-ht 
clothing.  This  happens  to  be  a  very  good  sporting 
pattern,  being  of  fawn  with  altei'nate  stripes  of  red 
and  black.  I'lankets  of  yihun  fawn,  or  witli  a  red 
and    black     check    on    a    fawn    ground,    are    almost 


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LIVERIES,  HORSE  CLOTHING,  ETC.  87 

equally  smart.  If  initials  are  used  with  any  of  these 
patterns  they  should  be  placed  over  the  hips.  It 
will  be  noticed  here  that  the  groom  is  wearing  such 
a  costume  as  is  appropriate  to  the  purpose,  while  in 
Plate  XLII,  which  follows,  he  is  more  trimmed  into 
shape  conformably  to  the  dress  clothing  worn  by  his 
horse.  While  undress  clothing  is  ordinarily  made 
with  the  rug  all  in  one  piece,  the  dress  clothing  has 
what  is  called  a  quarter  or  loin  cloth,  which  goes 
to  the  shoulders ;  a  breastplate,  which  is  strapped  to 
it  at  the  crown  of  the  withers  and  covers  the 
horse's  chest ;  and  a  small  pad  cloth,  which  goes 
under  the  roller.  There  is  also  a  small  breast  girth, 
which  buckles  to  the  roller  to  keep  the  whole  from 
slipping  back.  In  addition  to  a  roller  there  should 
be  a  surcingle  without  padding,  which  can  be  used 
when  the  clothing  is  thrown  over  a  saddle. 


QUARTER  CLOTHS. 
These  are  of  two  varieties  :  dress  and  sporting.  The 
former  are  made  of  cloth  or  leather,  and  shaped  for 
throwing  over  the  loins  oi-  for  use  under  the  harness 
for  protection  in  cold  weather.  (If  monograms  or 
crests  are  used  they  should  be  small  and  unostenta- 
tious.) The  latter  are  simply  a  square  of  a  woollen 
material,   generally  striped  fawn,  which  are  folded  in 


gg  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

two   and  thrown   over  the   loins   when  the  hori^es  are 
standino;. 


APRONS  AXD  CARRIAGE  RUGS. 

Aprons  are  commonly  made  of  a  light-drab  box 
cloth  or  Bedford  cord.  Those  for  an  owner's  use  are 
faced  with  leather,  generally  pigskin,  at  the  bottom, 
inside ;  are  lined  with  some  plaid  worsted  material, 
and  have  in  front  at  the  top  a  flap  which  covers  a 
couple  of  pockets.  In  the  centre  of  the  top  is  placed 
a  medallion  for  a  monogram  or  crest.  This  has  a  strap 
made  fast  to  it  on  the  under  side  with  which  to  fasten 
it  to  the  seat  rail.  Such  an  apron  as  the  above  de- 
scribed is  intended  for  two  persons. 

The  four-horse  or  tandem  coachman's  apron  is 
made  of  any  suitable  material  to  sti-ap  around  the 
waist  and  to  come  about  to  the  ankle  when  standing. 
It  has  no  medalUon  or  flap. 

A  pair  of  smart  aprons  for  use  in  a  dogcart  are 
made  of  dressed  deerskin  and  box  cloth,  with  the 
flap  and  medallion  as  above  described. 

Lap  robes  for  use  in  a  light  wagon  are  made  of 
cloth,  which  either  matches  the  lining  of  the  wagon 
or  is  of  light  drab. 

Aprons  for  servants'  use  are  nuide  of  heavy  box 
cloth  lined  in  the  same  colour.     Thev  should  be  about 


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LIVERIES,  HORSE  CLOTHING,  ETC.  89 

the  shade  of  tlie  box  cusliioii,  which  is  always  of 
some  dark  colour.  When  drab  iireatcoats  are  used, 
an  apron  of  the  same  colour  is  often  seen.  This  should 
never  be.  As  far  as  the  rugs  for  use  inside  the  car- 
riages are  concerned,  individual  tancy  may  dictate,  pro- 
vided it  does  not  run  to  knitted  worsted  or  to  some 
gay  colour. 

Api'ons  and  rugs  should  ordinarily  be  folded  out- 
side out,  as  in  this  way  the  inside  is  more  certain  of 
being  clean  when  thrown  over  the  knees. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE     STABLE. 

There  are  a  great  many  minor  details,  mere  trifles 
in  themselves,  and  of  no  moment  as  far  as  labour  and 
expense  are  concerned,  which  go  far  toward  giving 
the  stable  that  finish  and  smartness  so  much  sought 
after  by  those  who  take  an   interest  in  such  matters. 

Even  a  most  commonplace  interior,  by  a  judi- 
cious use  of  a  few  yards  of  an  inexpensive  material 
and  some  nails,  can  be  made  to  appear  well  cared 
for ;  and  a  few  days'  work  by  a  carpenter  Avill 
make  the  roughest  barn  look  quite  workmanlike 
inside. 

The  steels,  whips,  horse  boots,  etc.,  by  a  little  taste 
in  arrangement  may  be  made  really  decorative  ;  and 
the  horse  clothing,  carriage  rugs,  and  aprons  all  do 
their  part  when  properly  disposed. 

Straw  mats,  which  can  be  rolled  u])  at  night,  either 
made  by  the  servant  or  purchased  at  the  feed  store, 
together  with  some  white  sea  sand,  give  character  to 
any  stable.     An   occasional  stencil    of  coloured    paints 


^       '5 


THE  STABLE.  91 

showing  either  tlie  monogram  or  crest  of  the  owner, 
looks  quite  well  on  a  neatly  sanded  Hoor. 

All  these  little  niceties  help  to  give  a  servant  some 
pride  in  his  work,  and,  if  he  is  keen,  one  will  see  every 
now  and  then  some  trifling  improvement  which  he  has 
found  time  to  make  in  his  spare  moments.  Even  the 
owner  who  takes  no  interest  in  his  stable  will  feel  a 
certain  amount  of  satisfiiction  in  realizing  that  it  is 
kept  up  "  shipshape  and  Bristol  fashion." 

When  there  is  sufhcient  time,  all  the  steel-tined 
forks  should  be  kept  clean  and  burnished,  the  shovels, 
rakes,  etc.,  varnished  or  whitened,  and  the  judicious 
use  of  a  little  paint  on  these  articles  sometimes  adds 
to  their  appearance. 

Everything  for  stable  use  should  have  its  place  and 
be  kept  there.  This  place  must  not  be  merely  a  dark 
shelf  in  some  dusty,  musty  closet,  but  a  rack,  hook,  or 
shelf  suited  to  each  article,  in  plain  sight,  and  so  placed 
as  to  improve  rather  than  detract  from  the  general 
appearance.  The  larger  stable  tools  (forks,  brooms, 
etc.)  present  a  most  slovenly  appearance  when  either 
piled  carelessly  in  a  corner  or  distributed  "  all  over  the 
place,"  so  to  speak.  These  can  be  made  to  furnish  con- 
siderably by  hanging  them  close  together  on  some  bit 
of  exposed  Avail,  making  a  panel  of  them,  as  it  were. 
So  it  is  with  practically  every  article  intended  for  use 
in  the  stable  at  large. 


92  DEIVING  FOR  PLEASUEE. 

The  outside  of  all  the  boxes  and  bottles  used  m 
cleaning,  etc.,  should  be  kept  tidy,  being  wij)ed  off  and 
covered  directly  after  using.  The  piece  of  cloth, 
sponge,  or  brush  belonging  to  each  should  be  neatly 
placed  by  its  side.  A  servant  who  has  not  been  j)rop- 
erly  trained  to  this  sort  of  thing  will  often  say  that  he 
"  hasn't  time  for  such  nonsense."  If  after  he  has  tried 
it  he  is  still  dissatisfied,  get  another.  Of  course  there  is 
a  limit  to  the  powers  of  each  of  us  "  poor  human  be- 
ings," and  the  foregoing  advice  might  in  some  cases 
be  an  injustice  to  a  really  hard-working  man,  but  on 
the  average  it  Avill  be  found  to  be  sound. 

The  necessity  for  every  horse  owner  to  inform  him- 
self as  to  the  time  the  various  branches  of  stable  ^^ork 
should  consume  can  not  be  sufiicientlv  emphasized ; 
such  knowledge  will  enable  him  to  criticise  his  servants 
justly,  thereby  avoiding  much  of  the  friction  which  is 
engendered  either  through  thoughtlessness  or  lack  of 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  employer  who  administers 
an  undeserved  reproof. 

The  question  often  arises  as  to  the  number  of  men 
stables  of  various  sizes  should  employ.  Such  a  question 
is  not  easily  answered,  for  the  conditions  differ  widely. 
As  a  general  rule,  one  man  besides  the  coachman  to 
every  four  horses  is  a  good  proportion,  and  with  proper 
management  should  suffice  in  the  average  establish- 
ment. 


°i  fc: 


THE  STABLE.  93 

In  a  large  stable  a  great  deal  of  the  comfort  and 
economy  of  rimniiiij;  is  dependent  on  the  head  coach- 
man and  his  ability  to  train  his  undermen  to  their 
respective  duties,  besides  keeping  them  up  to  the  mark 
in  other  ways. 

One  of  the  very  important  points  in  the  keeping  of  a 
healthy  lot  of  horses  lies  in  an  early  morning  feed, 
thereby  giving  the  animals  time  to  properly  digest  their 
meal  before  they  are  called  upon  to  go  to  work.  A 
competent  coachman  will  at  least  superintend  the  feed- 
ing, and  will  always  attend  to  the  doling  out  of  each 
horse's  rations  himself;  there  is  no  other  possible  way 
of  his  accomplishing  the  desired  result. 

In  another  chapter,  the  coachman  Avho  simply  fed 
his  nags  their  mess  of  oats  regularly  and  gave  them 
bran  mash  on  Saturdays  is  referred  to  as  a  duffer,  and 
yet  it  is  painful  to  realize  that  many  such  duffers  exist. 
An  intelUgent  man  knows  that  a  horse  can  not  be  kept 
in  the  bloom  of  condition  by  any  such  treatment,  espe- 
cially one  Avith  a  delicate  appetite.  The  food  must  be 
varied,  and  made  easily  digestible  by  crushing  the  grain 
and  chopping  the  hay.  In  winter  an  occasional  feed  of 
steamed  food  or  warm  gruel  is  most  nutritious,  as  are 
also  carrots,  beets,  turnips,  etc.  Corn,  wheat,  rye,  and 
barley  crushed  can  at  times  be  used,  mixed  with  the 
oats,  with  good  results,  and  in  many  little  ways,  such  as 
salting,  moistening,  etc.,  a  mess  can  be  made  more  pal- 

13 


94  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

atable.  Hay  should  be  fed  sparingly  to  horses  which 
are  hard  worked,  but  the  old  theory  that  oats,  and  oats 
alone,  are  the  only  food  for  hard-worked  ones  is  an 
exploded  one,  for  there  is  no  surer  though  slow  means 
of,  so  to  speak,  "  burning  up  "  a  horse. 

When  possible,  a  few  bites  of  green  grass  will  be  of 
benefit,  as  it  will  assist  in  keeping  the  digestive  organs 
in  good  condition.  Watering  should  not  be  carelessly 
done.  While  some  persons  go  to  excess  in  depriving 
their  horses  of  water,  it  is  certainly  wise  to  limit  them 
somewhat,  excepting  possibly  at  evening.  A  horse 
should  never  drink  his  fill  before  going  to  work  on  the 
road,  and  the  variety  of  the  work  will  be,  in  a  way,  a 
guide  as  to  the  quantity  to  be  allowed.  It  is  scarcely 
necessary  to  add  that  when  a  horse  is  heated  and  about 
to  be  stabled,  no  more  than  a  sponging  should  be  given 
until  he  is  thoroughly  cooled  out. 

This  chapter  is  not  intended  in  any  way  as  a  treatise 
on  feeding,  but  merely  to  show  that  it  is  a  subject 
admitting  of,  and  in  fact  requiring,  considerable  judg- 
ment and  experience. 

In  addition  to  careful  feeding,  it  is  necessary  that  a 
horse's  teeth  should  be  watched  and  kept  in  good  or- 
der. Many  a  case  of  debilitated  condition,  pulling,  side 
reining,  rearing,  etc.,  is  due  to  a  bad  state  of  the  mouth, 
which,  when  neglected,  causes  permanent  trouble. 

Passing  from  the  cai'e  of  horses  to  that  of  the  har- 


=e  tS 


i^ata0.:*^mt> 


THE  STABLE.  95 

ness  and  carriages,  it  may  be  well  to  call  attention  to 
the  great  ditference  in  the  care  bestowed  ui3on  them  by 
coachmen  generally  and  individnally.  It  is  exceedingly 
interesting  to  go  to  some  of  our  coachbuilders  and  care- 
fully  examine  carriages  which  are  up  for  some  slight 
re])air.  The  exception  is  the  one  which  has  had  care- 
ful attention  while  in  use. 

There  is  a  tendency  towai'd  the  neglect  of  a 
proper  care  of  the  axles  and  boxes,  either  in  allowing 
sand  or  some  rough  substance  to  scratch  the  surface, 
or  in  neglecting  to  Avipe  the  oil  from  the  woodwork, 
which  results  in  a  rapid  rotting.  In  England  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  have  the  axles  attended  to  altogether  by 
the  coachbuilder,  and  such  a  practice  is  strongly  to 
be  advised,  as  it  will  cost  but  a  few  dollars  a  year,  and 
one  is  thereby  assured  as  to  their  condition. 

Some  coachmen  take  pains  always  to  have  on  hand 
a  pot  of  black  varnish  and  a  little  paint  the  colour  of 
their  carriages,  so  as  to  touch  up  the  steps  or  any 
trifling  scratches  which  detract  from  the  general  ap- 
pearance. Others  bring  in  carriages  which  have  not 
had  nearly  as  much  use,  and  which  look  shabby  from 
mere  lack  of  proper  care ;  in  fact,  they  often  show 
signs  of  having  been  actually  neglected.  A  carriage 
should  never  be  left  overnight  without  a  careful  wash- 
ing. Plenty  of  water  should  be  used,  but  by  no  means 
is  this  to  be  applied  with  a  hose.     Two  large  sponges 


96  DEIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

sliould  be  provided,  one  to  be  used  on  the  panels,  etc., 
and  the  other  on  the  undercarriage.  When  the  mud 
shows  a  tendency  to  harden,  a  sponge  full  of  -water 
should  be  gently  sopped  against  it  until  it  is  so  soft- 
ened that  it  may  be  wiped  otf  without  scratching  the 
surface.  Hot  water  must  not  be  used  on  any  account, 
as  it  is  ruinous  to  the  varnish.  A  wet  chamois  should 
be  used  after  the  carriage  has  been  carefully  sponged, 
providing,  of  course,  every  bit  of  sand  and  grit  has 
already  been  removed.  A  damp  or  wet  cloth  or 
sponge  should  never  be  used  on  the  morocco  uphol- 
stering of  a  carriage. 

The  practice  of  using  soap  around  the  axles  and 
hub  is  prevalent  with  many  coaclimen,  and  can  not  be 
too  severely  condemned ;  a  little  turpentine  may  be 
used  to  remove  the  grease.  Many  of  them  also  have 
the  habit  of  swashing  the  Avater  aU  over  the  carriage, 
regardless  of  the  trimming  and  the  various  interstices, 
which  results  in  the  bulging  of  many  a  panel.  There 
is  what  is  termed  a  well-hole  in  the  door  of  any  heavy 
carriaoe  with  window  glass,  which  furnishes  a  ready 
receptacle  for  water.  Most  coachbuilders  put  a  couple 
of  small  holes  at  the  bottom  of  the  door  to  furnish  an 
outlet  for  the  water ;  but  coachmen  rarely  keep  these 
holes  clear,  generally  allowing  them  to  till  u]i  ^\ith  dirt 
and  sand,  thus  rendering  them  useless  for  the  purpose 
for  which  they  are  intended. 


■=0 


-J 


THE  STABLE.  97 

It  is  well  to  caution  the  coachman  to  wrap  his 
wrench  and  the  other  implements  which  he  may  carry 
in  the  carriage  in  a  cloth,  as  they  are  often  the  cause 
of  some  apparently  inexplicable  rattling. 

It  is  cheapest,  in  the  long  run,  to  have  carriages 
which  are  in  constant  use  sent  to  the  coachbuilder 
for  varnishing,  examination,  etc.,  at  least  once  a  year ; 
and  carriages  which  have  been  allowed  to  stand  unused 
in  the  stable  for  several  months  should  always  be  ex- 
amined by  a  coachbuilder,  and  any  trifles  which  re- 
quire attention  should  be  adjusted  before  they  run 
again.  The  loosening  of  a  single  nut,  and  any  trifling 
accumulation  of  rust  between  the  leaves  of  the  springs, 
will  cause  a  squeaking  and  rattling,  and  are  often  pro- 
ductive of  more  serious  trouble. 

It  is  therefore  "  penny  wise  and  pound  foolish "  to 
neglect  these  things.  Nothing  affects  a  carriage  more 
injuriously  than  a  damp  coach  house,  as  the  SAvelling  of 
the  wood  is  liable  to  burst  the  panels,  etc.  Where  a 
coachman  is  aware  that  his  coach  house  is  somewhat 
damp,  he  should  be  particular  to  stand  his  carriages 
away  as  far  as  possible  from  any  stone  or  brick  wall,  so 
that  they  may  have  the  freest  possible  circulation 
of  air. 

Unless  this  subject  has  been  given  close  attention,  it 
is  difficult  to  have  the  slightest  conception  of  the  many 
little  ways  in  Avhich  a  poor  coachman  can  run  up  an 


98  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

endless  coaclimaker's  bill,  causing  mnch  annoyance ; 
whereas,  if  his  part  of  the  work  had  been  properly 
understood  and  attended  to,  this  would  have  been  in  a 
great  measure  obviated. 

It  is  much  the  same  in  the  care  of  harness.  One 
man  will  keep  a  harness  in  good  condition  for  five  or 
six  years,  while  another  will  ruin  it  in  six  months. 
Never  allow  the  use  of  any  harness  polish  or  varnish, 
unless  on  a  very  old  harness,  for  there  is  no  better 
way  of  taking  the  heart  out  of  the  leather.  A 
blacking  or  composition  should  be  used  which  has 
considerable  oil  in  it,  and  is  applied  moist  and  pol- 
ished with  the  combination  of  elbow-grease  and  a 
brush.  The  application  of  beeswax  is  also  beneficial. 
The  same  criticisms  as  to  care,  etc.,  may  be  made 
with  regard  to  the  saddles,  bridles,  steels,  breeches, 
boots,  etc.  It  should  be  remembered  that  while  one 
coachman  who  I'eally  understands  these  duties  and 
attends  to  them  jiroperly  is  well  worth  good  wages, 
for  he  is  an  economy  to  his  employer,  another,  through 
his  ignorance,  may  be  an  extravagance  at  half  the 
money. 

The  photographs  of  stable  interiors  which  are  given 
here  show  good  examples  of  neatly  kept  establishments. 
Plate  XLIV  shows  a  harness  room  in  a  stable  in  Avhich 
only  one  man  is  kept:  but  that  man  is  an  excellent  one, 
who  has  been  for  many  years  in  his  place,  and  has  had 


u 


-J 


THE  STABLE.  99 

the  advantage  of  serving-  an  employer  who  takes  un- 
usual interest  in  appointments. 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  describe  the  various 
minuti;o  shown  in  these  photographs,  for,  after  a  cer- 
tain point  is  reached,  so  much  in  the  arrangement  and 
general  treatment  depends  on  the  owner's  personal  taste 
that  we  have  used  the  illustrations  more  with  the  view 
of  shoAving  some  good  examples  than  of  defining  any 
one  particular  method. 

Convenience  and  the  sanitary  conditions  are  the  two 
points  mainly  to  be  considered  in  the  building  of  a 
stable.  Ventilation  must  be  carefully  looked  after,  aiul 
should  be  so  arranged  that  Avhen  desired  there  can  be 
a  free  circulation  of  air  in  the  stable  without  exposing 
its  occupants  to  a  direct  draught. 

The  coach  house  should  invariably  be  separated 
from  the  stable  by  closed  doors,  and,  if  possible,  l)y  a 
separately  ventilated  antechamber  or  harnessing  room. 
The  ammonia  from  the  stables  is  very  injurious  to  car- 
riages, and,  in  addition  to  this,  its  odour  permeates  the 
carriages  and  is  very  disagreeable. 

The  use  of  tiling  in  interior  stable  work  is  much 
to  be  recommended,  as  it  can  be  thoroughly  washed, 
thereby  reducing  the  possibility  of  contagion  among  the 
horses  to  the  lowest  point. 

The  question  as  to  what  flooring  is  best  for  the  stalls 
always  brings  forth  a  variety  of  opinions.     Where  sta- 


100  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

bles  in  the  country  are  so  situated  as  to  allow  the  use 
of  good  clay  bottoms  in  the  loose  boxes,  there  is  no 
better  or  more  healthy  flooring  for  a  horse  to 
stand  upon,  provided,  of  course,  they  are  properl}- 
attended  to  and  frequently  renovate  I.  In  the  aver- 
age town  stable,  where  the  horses  are  kept  in  standing- 
stalls,  a  slat  flooring  made  of  some  soft  wood,  such  as 
white  pine,  and  draining  slightly  to  a  grated  trough  at 
the  rear  of  the  stalls,  is  most  practical.  It  is  wisest  to 
have  this  floor  laid  with  solid  planks  on  either  side  next 
the  partitions,  and  three  or  four  loose  planks  or  slats 
about  three  inches  wide  laid  half  an  inch  apart  to  fill 
up  the  centre.  The  solid  planks  should  be  put  down  in 
concrete  or  asphalt,  to  allow  of  no  crevices. 

The  question  as  to  the  width  of  the  stalls  depends 
somewhat  upon  the  size  of  the  horses  kept.  The  aver- 
age idea  seems  to  be  that  four  feet  six  inches  is  the 
width  for  any  and  every  stall.  The  author's  personal 
experience,  after  quite  extensive  experiments,  inclines 
him  to  l)elieve  that  this  width  is  just  about  proper  to 
insure  an  average-sized  horse  becoming  cast  when  he 
attempts  to  roll,  and  that  it  is  better  to  have  the  stall 
either  so  narrow  (about  four  feet  wide)  as  to  prevent 
the  animal  from  trying  to  roll,  or  so  Avide  (about  five 
feet)  as  to  reduce  the  chances  of  casting  to  a  minimum. 

The  suggestion  as  to  the  use  of  soft  woods  for 
the    stall  floors  will   be    found    a    sound  one,  for    they 


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Plate  LI'' :   Bui  iiishiiig  Pole  Chains. 


-J 


15 


THE  STABLE.  101 

are  elastic  to  a  t-ei'taiii  degree,  and  much  less  in- 
jurious to  horses"  feet  tiian  either  hard  wood,  con- 
crete, or  asphalt.  Of  course  they  wear  out  much 
sooner,  but  can  be  easily   replaced. 

The  size  of  the  harness  room  and  its  arrangement 
depend,  of  course,  entirely  u])on  that  of  the  rest  of 
the  stable.  It  should  be  ke])t  dry  at  all  times,  and 
for  this  reason  must  be  provided  with  a  stove  or 
other  means  of  heating  which  can  be  used  on  damp 
days  even  in  summer. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

SUGGESTIONS    TO    THE     IXEXPERIEXCED. 

It  occasionally  happens  that  a  novice  wishes  to 
start  some  sort  of  a  stable,  but  his  io'norance  of  the 
subject  makes  the  undertaking  both  dithcult  and 
unnecessarily  costly.  In  the  Generality  of  cases  such 
a  person  buys  at  random  and  is  almost  sure  to 
repent  at  leisure. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  suggestions  included  in 
this  chapter  may  l)e  found   of  some  benefit. 

We  will  consider  the  ([uestion  first  from  the  stand- 
point of  a  man  who  wishes  to  "  turn  out "  a  single 
brougham,  although  the  suggestions  giyen  here  are 
equally  adapted  to  any  standard  yehicle. 

The  question  of  dollars  and  cents  comes  first,  and 
after  that  it  is  wise  to  consider  whether  the  first 
purchase  shall  be  indiyidual,  or  is  intended  as  the 
nucleus  of  a  large  stable.  What  is  Avorth  doing  at 
all  is  worth  doing  well,  and  for  this  reason  one 
should  not  attempt  the  turning  out  of  the  simplest 
kind  of  equipage  unless  he  intends  to  do  it 
properly. 

102 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  INEXPERIENCED.  103 

It  is  well  for  those  who  are  not  inclined  to  give 
the  matter  close  attention,  or,  in  other  words,  to  take 
the  necessai'v  trouble  connected  therewith,  to  patron- 
ize the  livery  stable. 

The  selection  of  a  carriage  which  "  hlls  the  bill" 
should  be  the  first  consideration,  and  to  that  can  be 
added  a  suitable  horse,  harness,  etc.  Of  course  there 
are  many  enthusiasts  who  buy  a  "  clinker  "  whenever 
and  wherever  they  run  across  him,  without  regard  to 
size,  type,  etc.  Such  persons  must  necessarily  buy 
their  carriages  to  suit  their  horses.  It  is  almost 
superfiuous  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the 
pursuance  of  this  method  re(|uires  both  large  means 
and  an  elaborately  run  stable. 

And,  by  the  way,  these  are  not  the  only  require- 
ments, for  such  purchasers  should  have  the  knowl- 
edge and  experience  to  enal)le  them  to  cany  out 
the  establishment,  else  they  are  almost  certain  to 
make  serious  l)lunders.  It  is  therefore  a  good  plan 
for  any  one  Avho  has  had  little  or  no  experience, 
whether  his  means  are  ample  or  only  moderate,  to 
begin  very  slowly  and  woi'k  up  to.  rather  than 
launch   out  in,  a  large  establishment. 

Let  us  suppose  that  a  gentleman,  whose  means  are 
somewhat  limited,  is  about  to  "  set  up "  a  single 
brougham.  He  has  a  nice  little  stable,  and  wishes 
to    do    everything    properly    and    as    economically    as 


104  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

possible.     Being   without    experience,    he    is  somewhat 
at  sea. 

To  begin  with,  \ot  him  interest  a  friend  who  really 
knows,  and  who  will  help  him  in  the  looking  up  of 
a  second-hand  carriage  of  good  make  and  shape. 
After  considerable  search  such  an  one  is  found, 
shabby  in  appearance,  it  is  true,  but  which  can  be 
bought  at  a  low  figure.  The  purchase  does  not 
seem  particularly  attractive  to  our  friend,  but  being 
so  advised,  he  decides  to  make  it.  The  carriage  is 
then  sent  to  a  good  shop,  where  it  is  stripped  of 
its  paint,  and.  if  necessary,  of  its  trimmings.  In  the 
course  of  six  or  eight  weeks  it  is  repainted  and  re- 
lined,  aiul  having  undergone  a  careful  examination. 
is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  quite  as  good  as  a 
new  carriage,  provided,  of  course,  it  was  originally 
of  first-class  construction.  The  entire  cost  to  our 
friend  is  probably  between  six  h\nidred  and  eight 
hundred  doUars — not  much  more  than  half  the  price 
of  a  first-class  new  carriage.  All  persons  with  ex- 
perience in  such  matters  will  agree  that  they  would 
rather  have  an  okl  carriage  by  a  good  maker  than 
a  new  one  of  chea])er  construction. 

Directly  the  purchase  of  the  carriage  is  made  he 
requests  his  well-posted  friend  to  look  him  up  a  good 
horse  about  seven  years  old.  between  fifteen  two  and 
sixteen  hands    high,  and    weighing    from    eleven    hun- 


^1 


S  '^ 

X 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE   INEXPERIENCED.  105 

drod  to  twelve  hundred  jjounds,  suitable  for  his 
brougham.  In  tlie  al»seiK'e  of  his  friend  he  applies 
to  some  dealer  of  uood  repute,  and  outlining  his 
wants,  places  himself  in  the  dealer's  hands.  Con- 
tidence  of  this  sort  is  vei'v  seldom  misplaced,  for 
there  is  honoui'  even  among  the  constantlv  maligned 
horse  dealers. 

The  man  who,  knowing  very  little  about  horses, 
poses  as  an  expert,  is  almost  invariably  "  played  for 
all  he  is  Avorth."  \'ery,  very  few  amateurs  are  com- 
petent to  coj»e  with  i'.\]iei'ience(l  horse  dealers,  but 
many  undertake  the  task,  and  the  dealers  verv  natu- 
rally consider  these  ])ersons  *•  fair  game,""  ami  treat 
tlieni  on  the  •'  dog-eat-dog  "  princi])le.  Who  can 
wonder  that  the  result  is  generally  more  favourable 
to  the  seller  than  to  the  buyer? 

Many  an  amateur  who  is  most  willing  to  advise  a 
friend  in  the  purchase  of  horseflesh  Avould,  were  he 
going  down  into  his  own  pocket,  call  in  his  coach- 
man, veterinarian,  and  all  available  talent,  and  even 
then  would  buy  with  considei'able  hesitation. 

Our  friend  ultimately  secures  a  good  horse  for 
something  like  three  huiulred  dollars,  and  either 
leaves  him  with  the  dealer  oi'  sends  him  to  a  livery 
stable  until  his  owai  stable  is  in  readiness.  He  then 
buys  a  iirst-class  harness  from  a  reliable  maker  or 
importer  for  about   one   hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  for 


106  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

the  purchase   of  a    second-hand    or  inferior  harness  is 
the  poorest  of  economies. 

The  finding  of  a  capable  servant  Avill  probably 
take  time ;  none  should  be  engaged  without  a  per- 
sonal reference.  Chapter  X  gives  a  list  of  the  ar- 
ticles necessary  for  the  servant,  and  at  the  end  of 
this  chapter  will  be  found  a  list  of  the  articles  neces- 
sary in  the  stable  where  one  or  more  horses  are 
kept.  The  latter  list  will  undoubtedly  appal  an  in- 
experienced person,  but  there  is  really  nothing  in- 
cluded in  the  entire  summary  which  can  be  conven- 
iently dispensed  with.  Of  course  there  are  a  number 
of  articles  which  would  not  require  duplication  were 
there  several  horses  instead  of  one.  If  the  gentleman 
in  question  is  a  practical  man  and  really  interested 
in  his  new  departure,  he  will  have  all  these  things 
provided  before  his  servant  arrives,  and  will  as  far 
as  possible  find  out  the  use  of  each  article. 

The  horse,  brougham,  and  harness  are  now  sent 
home  and  the  servant  instructed  to  re]ioi-t  for  dutv. 
The  first  dav  or  so  will  have  to  l)e  spent  in  "  o-ettino" 
things  to  rights."  On  the  second  afternoon  our  friend 
takes  a  short  drive,  realizing  that  his  hoi-se  is  not  '•  fit." 
and  should  be  used  very  modei'ately  for  some  time. 
Later,  when  everything  is  running  smoothlv,  he  takes 
occasion  to  drive  directly  to  the  stable  on  a  muddy 
day,  and  superintends  the  doing  up  of  the  hoi-se,  car- 


SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  INEXPERIENCED.  107 

riage,  etc.  lie  is  prol)al)ly  surprised  at  the  amount 
of  time  consumed,  and,  realizino;  that  the  carriage  did 
not  reach  home  till  about  half  past  one  in  the  morn- 
ing, it  occurs  to  him  to  wonder  what  time  John 
got  to  bed.  The  appreciation  of  such  matters  is 
very  necessary  to  an  owner  who  is  desirous  of  doing 
justice  to  a  conscientious  servant,  as  well  as  of  keep- 
ing a  lax  one  up  to  the  mark. 

Oftentimes  a  man  of  means  who  takes  no  interest 
in  horseflesh  desires  to  establish  a  stable  which  will 
be  suited  to  his  family  needs.  He  wishes  to  keep 
enough  horses  to  warrant  a  free  use  of  his  carriages, 
and  yet  the  mere  details  are  sufficiently  formidable  to 
deter  him  from  the  undertaking. 

It  mav  not  be  amiss  to  give  here  the  "  condi- 
ments."  so  to  speak,  of  a  good-sized  private  stable 
which  contains  vehicles  of  the  useful  sort,  and  the 
servants,  horses,  etc..  necessary  to  its  maintenance. 

We  will  suppose  this  establishment  to  be  intended 
for  city  use  in  winter,  and  for  such  a  place  as  New- 
port in  the  summei'.  The  most  important  factor  is 
the  coachman,  who  should  be  a  near  approach  in 
qualifications  to  the  man  who  is  described  in  Chap- 
ter VI 1  as  a  head  coachman.  Such  a  man  is  not 
always  to  be  had  for  the  asking,  but  it  will  be  found 
wise  to  wait  until   he  can  be  secured. 

The  question  as  to  the  necessary  carriages,  horses, 


108  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

harness,  etc.,  hinges  hirgely  upon  the  size  of  the 
family  and  the  amount  of  entertaining  done.  The 
brouo-ham  and  victoria  naturally  are  the  first  se- 
lected,  then  the  landau,  and  after  that  an  omnibus 
and  vis-d-ris  or  similar  carriage.  To  these  may  be 
added  a  runabout,  some  sort  of  t\vo-\vheeler,  and 
perha])s  a  phaeton.  To  horse  such  an  estabhshment 
properly  at  least  six  horses  ^vill  be  necessary :  they 
should  be  so  nearly  of  a  size  as  to  be  interchange- 
able ;  the  ^visest  policy  being  to  have  three  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  fifteen  three  hands  high,  with 
some  (juality  and  action  for  use  in  the  brougham, 
victoria,  phaeton,  etc..  and  three  about  sixteen  hands 
hiffh.  for  use  in  the  omnibus,  single  brougham,  and 
landau.  Such  a  lot  should  make  up  cpiite  a  decent 
four  on  a  ]uiu'li.  It  is  sometimes  ^vise  to  keep  a 
couple  of  ordinary  nags  for  night  work,  l)ut  this 
is  not  an  absolute   necessity. 

It  is  presumed,  of  course,  that  the  carriages  are 
to  be  called  Tipou  morning,  noon,  and  night,  and  in 
conse(pience  the  stable  force  must  l)e  sufHciently  large. 
Whether  it  shall  be  two  or  three  in  lunnbcr  depends 
somewhat  upon  whether  a  stable  servant  is  re([uired 
besides  the  coachnum  at   all  times. 

The  coachman  should  not  be  above  taking  a  haiul 
when  necessaiT  :  but  it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose 
that    a    man    who    is    often    on    the  box  from    'J  a.  m. 


o 


SUGGESTIONS   TO   THE   EXEXPEKIEiNOED.  109 

till  1  r.  M..  from  2  v.  m.  till  G  r.  m..  and  fVoui  eiulit 
in  the  evening  till  one  or  two  in  the  morning,  can 
do  nuich  work  himself  when  such  is  the  case,  and 
provision  must  be  made  accordingly.  Many  a  good 
man  has  been  driven  to  the  use  of  stimulants  purely 
from  the  lack  of  consideration  by  his  employer. 


NECESSARIES   FOR   ONE   HORSE. 

The  following  lists  embody  the  articles  necessary 
in  the  stable,  for  the  horse,  for  the  earriaffe,  for 
the  harness,  and  for  the  livery,  and  are  named 
under  their  respective  headings  for  the  convenience 
of  the  reader : 

POK  THE   STABLE. 

One  stable  broom  ;  one  ordinary  broom  ;  one  long;- 
handled  feather  duster ;  two  oak  pails :  one  shovel ; 
one  steel-tined  hayfork  (for  hayloft) ;  one  wooden 
hayfork  (for  stable) ;  one  manure  fork ;  one  manure 
basket ;   one  squeegee  ;    one  barrel  of  white  sand. 

FOR  THE   HORSE. 

One  body  brush ;  one  dandy  brush ;  one  water 
brush ;  one  horse  foot  tub ;  one  currycomb ;  one 
mane  comb ;  one  pair  large  trimming  shears :  one 
pair  of  clipping  shears ;  one  hoof  brush ;  one  hoof 
pick  ;  one  can  of  neat's-foot  oil ;  one  pair  of  felt  soaking 


no  DEIYING   FOR   PLEASURE. 

boots;  right  and  left  ankle  boots  (felt);  one  four-quart 
measure ;  one  sieve  (one  sixteenth  inch  mesh) ;  one 
scraper ;  two  thick  niiiht  blankets :  one  thick  day 
blanket  (preferably  a  full  suit) :  one  thin  night 
blanket:  one  thin  day  blanket;  one  night  surcingle; 
one  day  surcingle ;  one  leather  head  collar ;  one 
web  stall  collar  (white);  six  stable  rubbers;  one 
set  woollen  bandages  ;   one   set  stockinet  bandages. 

FOK   THE   CARRIAGE. 

One  short-handled  feather  duster  (fine)  ;  one  hair 
broom ;  one  wheel  jack  ;  two  sponges ;  one  chamois 
(to  wet) ;  one  chamois  (to  use  dry) ;  six  stable  dust- 
ers ;  one  box  brass  polish ;  one  box  axle  grease  or 
oil ;    one  box  carriage  candles. 

FOR   THE   HARNESS. 

Two  holly  or  buckthorn  whips  ;  two  crest  brushes ; 
one  set  blacking  brushes ;  one  harness  sponge ;  one 
chamois  (dry);  one  black  chamois;  one  chain  bur- 
nisher, also  1)urnishing  bag :  one  bottle  black  paint 
and  brush;  one  box  harness  blacking;  one  can  of 
sweet  oil;  one  box  of  saddle  paste;  one  box  sad- 
dle soap ;  one  jar  of  Crown  soap ;  two  bars  of  cas- 
tile  soap  ;  one  bottle  of  Meltonian  cream  (for  patent 
leather) ;  one  set  of  oval  punches ;  two  or  three 
Crew  punches  ;  one  hook  for  hanging  harness  when 
cleaning. 


SUGGESTIONS  TO   THE   INEXPERIENCED.  m 

FOR   TIIK    LIVKRY. 

One  hat  brush  ;  one  set  blacking  brushes  ;  one  pair 
boot-top  brushes  ;  one  breeches  ball ;  one  box  breeches 
paste ;  one  pair  rubber  boots  for  servant ;  one  rubber 
washing  apron ;  one  box  or  bottle  shoe  blacking  or 
oil;  one  bottle  boot-top  fluid;  one  bottle  boot-top 
polish  or  one  box  boot-top  paste  and  one  box  boot- 
toj)  powder ;  one  button  stencil  plate  (for  cleaning 
livery  buttons). 


16 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

BITS    AND    BITTING. 

A  LENGTHY  and  exhaustive  treatment  of  this  sub- 
ject would  of  itself  require  a  special  Avork,  so  that  we 
will  only  glance  at  the  question  as  applied  to  the  aver- 
age "green"  horse  which  is  purchased  for  harness 
purposes  to-day. 

He  is  generally  trained  "  to  go "  in  harness,  and 
that  is  about  all  that  can  be  said,  for  the  bitting  and 
mouthing  are  almost  absolutely  neglected. 

Ordinarily  speaking,  the  farmer  who  raises  him 
puts  him  into  his  wagons  or  plow  for  a  season's  work, 
and  is  perfectly  well  satisfied  if  the  animal  goes  in  the 
direction  designated,  no  matter  how.  The  horse  is 
then  sold  to  a  city  buyer  and  landed  in  such  a  place 
as  our  New  York  "  Bull's  Head."  Here  the  first  con- 
sideration is  a  quick  sale,  and  some  heavy-handed, 
beefy  individual  is  put  behind  him  and  pulls  as  hard 
as  he  can  on  the  reins  to  "  make  him  show,"  forcing 
him  meanwhile  up  to  the  bit  l)y  the  vigorous  use  of  a 
whalebone  whip.  The  result  of  all  this  is  that  when 
the  horse    is   finally  purchased   he    has   practically  no 

112 


^ 


k 

» 

WL 

1  ■ 

m 

f.        *'-.»r?iB^ 

oa 


^ 
^ 


BITS  AND   BITTING.  113 

mouth  Avhatever.  It  is  inucli  more  difficult  to  bit  such 
an  animal  so  that  he  will  go  pleasantly  than  it  is  to 
accomplish  the  same  result  with  an  altogether  un- 
broken one. 

Fortunately,  the  growing  demand  for  the  fancy  type 
of  carriage  horse  has  led  some  of  the  more  practical 
dealers  to  take  manners  into  consideration,  which 
means  that  they  must  keep  a  horse  some  few  Aveeks 
before  they  attempt  to  sell  him.  Such  men  are  a 
beuelit  to  the  driving  public  ;  and  the  additional  in- 
crease in  their  prices  over  those  of  the  dealer  who 
sells  in  the  rough  state  is  to  a  great  extent  warranted. 
They  generally  have  to  carry  their  horses  through  the 
distemper,  which  attacks  almost  all  unacclimated  ones, 
thereby  increasing  both  their  feed  bills  and  their  per- 
centage of  mortality. 

On  taking  a  horse  from  "  Bull's  Head,"  for  example, 
it  will  be  well  to  do  nothing  but  nurse  him,  '•  lounge " 
him,  and  bit  him  for  at  least  the  first  month.  He  is 
generally  dosed  with  arsenic  or  some  artilicial  flesh- 
producing  food,  and  if  put  to  work  at  once  will  rarely 
thrive.  After  he  has  been  rested  for  a  day  or  two 
and  thoroughly  purged,  the  bitting  harness,  which  is 
shown  in  Plate  LIX,  should  be  used  for  a  few^  days. 
This  is  practically  Avhat  is  employed  in  the  first  break- 
ing in  of  a  colt.  If  it  is  left  on  the  horse  for  an  hour 
or  so  daily  when  in  a  loose  box,  it  will  accustom  him 


114  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

to  the  finding-  of  a  comfortable  position  for  his  head 
when  lield  in  restraint,  and  Avill  tend  to  develop  the 
necessary  muscles. 

The  bit  should  be  a  snaffle,  with  iron  keys  or  tas- 
sels attached,  and  should  be  dropped  comparatively 
low  in  the  mouth,  for  in  this  position  it  has  a  tend- 
ency to  encourage  flexion  and  yielding. 

After  a  couple  of  weeks  of  treatment  with  the  bit- 
ting harness,  during  which  time  the  pupil  may  be  given 
leading  exercise,  it  is  well  to  begin  the  use  of  the  dumb 
jockey  and  cavesson  (Plate  LX).  The  modern  dumb 
jockey  is  made  with  two  hard-rubber  arms,  each  ex- 
tending upward  and  outward  from  the  centre  of  the 
pad  ;  these  are  furnished  with  eyes  into  which  the  side 
reins,  etc.,  can  be  fastened.  These  side  reins  are  made 
partly  of  rubber,  so  that  they  will  yield  to  a  compara- 
tively light  pressure,  thereby  to  a  great  extent  obvi- 
ating the  danger  of  a  "  dead  pull."  The  horse  very 
soon  finds  that  his  head  and  mouth  are  more  comfort- 
able and  easy  when  he  yields  to  the  pressure  exerted 
by  the  elasticity  of  the  rubber,  and  consequently  drops 
his  head  into  the  position  which  gives  him  that  relief 
This  is  exactly  similar  to  the  result  which  a  man  with 
excellent  hands  is  able  to  accomplish,  and  which  is  so 
much  to  l)e  desired. 

The  cavesson  is  no  more  nor  less  than  a  rigid  nose- 
band to   which   rings  are  attached   on    the  front    and 


'O 


-J 


BITS  AND  BITTING.  115 

sides,  and  into  which  the  "  k)unging  "  reins,  side  reins, 
or  other  straps  can  be  buckled  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
breaker,  in  order  to  accustom  the  horse  to  restraint 
aside  from  that  of  the  bit.  This  is  a  most  useful 
instrument  in  the  hands  of  a  skilful  person,  but  it 
can  be  made  very  injurious  when  improperly  ap- 
pHed. 

Having  given  the  horse  several  days  of  the  dumb 
jockey,  he  may  be  led  or  lounged  with  the  cavesson. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  the  treatment  has  already 
brought  him  into  better  balance.  An  intelligent  use 
of  soft  ground  and  thick  straw,  with  occasional  logs 
among  it  w^liich  can  be  seen,  will  add  very  materially 
to  his  action  and  carriage. 

The  above-described  treatment  will  be  found  of  con- 
siderable service  when  the  horse  is  finally  put  in  har- 
ness, provided  his  driver  conforms  to  the  principles 
which  govern  it.  The  animal  must  be  made  to  realize 
that  by  flexing  his  neck  to  a  certain  point  he  will  find 
relief,  but  that  the  harder  he  pulls  the  more  he  will  suf- 
fer. The  application  of  this  principle  is  of  equal  service 
in  the  bitting  of  a  horse  and  in  the  making  of  a  coach- 
man's hands. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  exponents  of  the  school  of 
flexino-  and  mouthing  was  the  Frenchman  Baucher ; 
and  while  his  attention  was  in  a  great  measure  directed 
toward   the  trainhig  of  the  horse  for   the  saddle  and 


IIQ  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

manege,  he  nevertheless  apphecl  methods  iu  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  work  which  are  of  inestimable  value  to 
a  horseman.  One  of  his  first  principles  was  to  teach 
the  horse  to  play  with  the  bit,  thus  keeping  his  mouth 
moist  and  distracting  his  attention  from  a  possible  incli- 
nation to  "  take  hold." 

The  perfectly  mannered  harness  horse  should  simply 
carry  the  bit  in  his  mouth ;  it  should  be  felt  by  the 
coachman  at  all  times,  but  with  a  touch  so  light  that  it 
would  not  break  a  piece  of  thin  twine. 

The  proper  adjustment  of  the  noseband  is  much 
neglected,  and  in  most  harnesses  this  important  strap 
has  but  one  or  two  buckle  holes.  One  should  depend 
almost  as  much  on  the  noseband  as  on  the  bit  to  make 
a  pulling  horse  go  pleasantly.  It  is  far  wiser  to  tighten 
the  noseband  when  one's  horse  is  pulling  than  to  take 
up  the  curb  chain.  The  tighter  the  curb  chain  is  lis- 
tened the  more  senseless  the  mouth  becomes,  until 
finally  one  can  make  almost  no  impression  on  the  poor 
brute.  Should  a  horse  be  pulling,  it  is  well  to  try  the 
etfect  of  dropping  the  bit  one  or  two  holes  and  hav- 
ing the  curb  chain  easy  (not  too  loose),  to  tighten  the 
noseband  so  that  the  mouth  is  kept  closed. 

Avoid  severe  bitting  as  far  as  possible,  for  there  is 
nothing  pleasanter  than  a  phant  snafHe  bridle  mouth  : 
but  whatever  bit  is  used,  avoid  placing  it  always  in  the 
same  position,  thereby  making  the  mouth  "  dead."     Of- 


BITS  AND   BITTING.  117 

ten  and  often  a  horse  Avliich  will  pnll  yonr  arms  out  on 
the  louver  bar  of  the  curb  will  go  gently  and  lightly  on 
a  leather  or  rubber  covered  snaflle.  Pulling  in  a  young 
horse  is  frequently  caused  by  some  tooth  discomfort, 
which  can  easily  be  remedied,  when  a  pleasant  mouth  is 
the  result. 

Many  of  our  readers  wdll  doubtless  claim  an  incon- 
sistency between  the  advice  given  above  and  that  con- 
tained in  the  chapter  on  Harness  and  Harnessing,  which 
advocates  the  use  of  Buxton  bits,  pulley  bridoons,  etc., 
at  certain  times.  These  apparently  severe  bits,  when 
properly  used  on  a  horse  which  understands  them,  are 
in  reality  not  severe  at  all ;  but  when  put  for  the  first 
time  on  a  horse  which  has  not  been  educated  by  dumb 
jockey  training,  etc.,  they  may  indeed  be  made  instru- 
ments of  torture. 

Let  all  remember  that  no  horse  is  fit  to  run  in  a 
lady's  carriage,  or,  in  fact,  in  any  park  equipage,  until 
he  possesses  good  manners,  and  that  such  good  man- 
ners are  only  brought  about  by  a  thorough  education 
on  the  lines  above  described. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    USE    OF    BEARING    REINS. 

This  much-mooted  subject  seems  deserving  of  a 
chapter  by  itself,  and  while  the  author  feels  that  bear- 
ing reins  can  very  properly  be  used  and  not  abused, 
that  there  are  times  when  they  are  essential  and  times 
when  they  are  more  than  superfluous,  he  prefers  to  put 
his  personal  views  to  one  side  and  to  allow  the  reader 
to  form  his  own  opinion,  either  from  experience  or 
from  the  criticisms  of  the  well-knoAvn  coachmen  Avho 
are  quoted  below\  The  quotations  cover  a  period  of 
fifty  years,  and  show-  that  during  that  time  there  has 
been  considerable  diversity  of  opinion  on  the  (piestion 
at  issue. 

The  Duke  of  Beaufort,  in  Driving,  says :  "  From 
long  experience,  and  having  saved  many  broken  knees 
by  their  use,  we  advocate  bearing  reins — especially  in 
single  harness — put  on  with  sense  and  discretion,  so  as 
never  to  be  so  short  as  to  annoy  a  horse  in  any  way, 
and  always  when  standing  for  any  time  to  be  un- 
borne." 

Major    Dixon    and    others,  in    the    chapter    on   The 

118 


THE  USE  OF   BEARING  REINS.  119 

Coacli  House,  Harness  Room,  and  Driving  Appliances, 
in  the  Badminton  Driving,  say  :  ''  Bearing  reins  have 
been,  and  will  always  continue  to  be,  a  bone  of  conten- 
tion between  coachmen  of  different  classes,  the  Society 
for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  and  others 
who  periodically  write  a  considerable  amount  of  rub- 
bish on  the  subject  when  the  new^spapers  are  not  feel- 
ing well  and  the  gigantic  gooseberry  season  comes  in. 
It  may  safely  be  said  that  were  not  bearing  reins  still 
in  use  among  the  ordinary  traffic  of  Piccadilly,  Bond 
Street,  Regent  Street,  etc.,  the  number  of  accidents  as 
well  as  the  amount  of  coachbuilders'  bills  would  be 
largely  increased.  There  is  no  reason  in  the  world  why 
they  can  not  be  put  on  to  be  of  use  when  required 
Avithout  causing  torture,  though  no  doubt  in  many  cases 
they  are  improperly  employed.  As,  however,  there  are 
some  people — it  is  doubtful  whether  they  are  practical 
coachmen — who  decline  to  see  in  bearing  reins  any- 
thing but  horrible  barbarity,  it  may  not  be  out  of 
place  to  state  briefly  in  what  cases  they  may  be  of 
some  use.  Except  for  the  purpose  of  show,  they  might 
be  dispensed  with  for  horses  in  single  harness  in  ninety- 
nine  instances  out  of  a  hundred.  The  hundredth  horse 
might  be  some  heavy-headed  boring  brute  requiring 
more  room  in  which  to  be  pulled  up  than  is  always 
availal)le  in  the  streets  of  London.  With  such  a  horse 
a  bearing  rein,  not  tighter  than  is  absolutely  necessary. 


;[20  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

is  surely  permissible,  if  only  to  save  the  coachman's 
arms.  It  may  be  granted  that  bad  bitting  and  worse 
driving  may  have  originally  conduced  to  the  horse's 
mouthless  state  ;  it  may  also  be  true  that  the  man 
called  upon  to  drive  him  may  not  possess  the  skill  of 
a  Sir  St.  Vincent  Cotton  ;  but  we  hold  that  a  proper 
use  of  any  mechanical  appliance  is  allowable  when 
other  means  fail.  The  well-meaning  faddists  who  in- 
veigh so  bitterly  against  bearing  reins  are  not  above 
using  curb  bits ;  and,  on  the  whole,  horses  perhaps 
suifer  much  less  from  bearing  reins  than  from  heavy 
hands  and  curl>  bits.  In  double  harness,  however,  the 
employment  of  loose  bearing  reins  has  saved  many  an 
accident.  If  a  pair  of  horses,  or  four,  are  driven 
straight  away  for,  say,  ten  miles,  baited,  and  driven 
home  ao;ain,  bearing  reins  are  often,  it  mav  be  ad- 
mitted,  not  wanted ;  but  it  is  different  with  horses 
driven  in  the  park  and  those  which  have  to  stand  out- 
side shops  or  private  houses  while  the  occupants  of  the 
carriage  are  shopping  or  visiting.  Horses  soon  get 
warm  under  the  bridle,  and  when  they  are  pulled  up  it 
is  to  the  moist  spot  that  the  flies  are  attracted :  they 
cause  a  certain  amount  of  irritation,  and  the  horse  nat- 
urally enough  scratches  himself,  or  at  least  he  would 
do  so  had  he  a  hand  for  the  purpose.  He  drops  his 
head  to  the  pole,  and  possibly  gets  the  bit  fast.  Out 
comes  the   proprietor   of  the  carriage,  or  perhaps  the 


THE  USE  OF  BEARING  REINS.  121 

policeman  on  duty  appears  with  a  moving-on  mission. 
The  entanglement  is  not  perceived  till  too  late  ;  the 
horse  does  not  answer  to  the  reins  ;  a  collision  occurs, 
or  perhaps  the  horse  starts  kicking  and  then  falls  down. 
When  the  evening  papers  appear,  the  ubi(piitous  report- 
er will  be  found  to  have  sent  in  a  paragraph  detailing 
'  a  sinoular  carriage  accident  at  the  West  End."  This  is 
no  fancy  sketch,  and  a  bearing  rein  which  is  short 
enough  to  prevent  such  a  catastrophe  is  at  the  same 
time  long  enough  to  allow  the  horse  unrestrained  free- 
dom of  the  head.  It  is  the  abuse  of  the  bearing  reins 
(which  takes  the  form  of  the  gag  shortened  to  a  cruel 
extent),  and  not  the  use  of  them,  which  merits  univer- 
sal condemnation." 

Colonel  Hugh  Smith  Baillie,  in  his  chapter  on  Hints 
to  Beginners,  in  the  Badminton  Driving,  says  :  "  Bear- 
ing reins  some  men  write  fiercely  against.  It  is  the 
opinion  of  many  of  the  best  coachmen  in  England  that 
a  bridle  is  not  complete  wdthout  a  bearing  rein.  In 
my  opinion  it  is  wrong  to  lay  down  hard-and-fiist  rules 
about  bearing  reins.  I  think  the  gag  bearing  rein  as 
screwed  up  by  some  London  drivers  is  very  bad,  and 
injurious  to  the  horse  ;  but  with  kickers  the  bearing 
rein  is  not  only  most  useful  but  almost  indispensable. 
I  should  very  much  like  to  see  some  of  the  men  who 
write  so  much  against  bearing  reins  drive  kickers  with- 
out  them  ;  I  think  they  would  soon  either  alter  their 


122  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

opinions  or  g-ive  up  driving  anything  l)ut  quiet  horses. 
T  once  had  the  driving  for  a  season  of  a  gray  mare,  a 
determined  kicker.  She  was  put  into  my  hands  leader 
in  a  team  without  bearing  reins  ;  soon  after  starting 
she  put  lier  head  down  and  kicked  in  a  very  deter- 
mined manner,  and  I  had  a  great  difiiculty  in  getting 
her  head  up.  I  took  her  out  and  went  to  the  stable 
with  a  pair,  then  put  a  l)earing  rein  on  her,  and  put  her 
in  again.  I  could  then  manage  her,  and  drove  her  for 
three  months,  and  a  right  good  one  she  was.  She 
kicked  occasionally,  but  I  could  manage  her,  which  I 
could  not  have  done  without  a  bearing  rein.'' 

Lord  Algernon  St.  Maur,  in  his  chapter  on  Single 
Harness,  in  the  Badminton  Driving,  says :  "  Even  in  sin- 
gle harness,  in  all  my  long  forty-mile  drives,  I  always 
used  a  bearing  rein,  as  I  found  that  it  steadied  a  horse ; 
he  looks  about  him  much  less,  and  is  not  nearly  so 
likely  to  rub  otf  his  bridle.  Those  who  dislike  a  bear- 
ing rein  should  buckle  the  throat  lash  two  or  three 
holes  tighter  than  usual.  Some  horses,  the  moment  that 
you  stop,  put  down  their  heads  between  their  fore  legs 
and  try  to  rub  off  their  bridles — a  most  dangerous  pro- 
ceeding. All  horses  look  better  in  a  bearing  rein  when 
standing  still,  as,  the  moment  you  stop,  down  go  their 
heads,  and  then  a  four-hundred-guinea  horse  looks  like 
a  forty-pounder.  In  old  coaching  days  I  often  heard  it 
said  that  those  coachmen  who  Avere  the  first   to  take 


THE  USE  OF  BEARING  REINS.  123 

off  the  bearing  reins  were  the  first  to  put  them  on 
again.  In  heavy  night  coaches,  such  as  the  Paul  Pry, 
Avliich  ran  from  London,  through  Beaconsfield,  to  Ox- 
ford, weighing  about  four  tons,  including  passengers 
and  luggage,  and  stopped  often,  running  long  stages 
with  underbred  horses  with  hard  mouths,  bearing 
reins  Avere  a  great  safetyguard  and  assistance  both 
to  the  horses  and  the  coachman.  One  of  my 
leaders  once  rubbed  his  bridle  off  when  stopping 
at  a  shop  in  a  town.  Ned  Poulter,  who  at  one 
time  drove  the  Light  Salisbury  from  Andover  to 
Basingstoke,  in  going  down  a  hill  near  Whitchurch 
upset  his  coach  and  broke  his  leg,  one  of  the  wheel 
horses  having  caught  the  crossbar  at  the  bottom  of  his 
bit  in  the  httle  hook  at  the  end  of  the  pole  chain,  which 
was  turned  up  instead  of  downward,  as  it  ought  to  have 
been  ;  the  horses  became  frightened  and  restive,  thus 
causing  this  sad  accident.  Of  course,  with  nice  lio-ht- 
mouthed  horses,  when  just  taking  a  drive  for  an  hour 
or  two,  all  bearing  reins  can  be  dispensed  with.  Bits 
are  now  made  without  the  crossbar  at  the  bottom, 
and  they  are  much  the  safest." 

Captain  IMalet,  in  his  chapter  on  Coaching  on  May 
Day :  Bearing  Reins,  in  Annals  of  the  Road,  says : 
"On  the  subject  of  bearing  up  coach  horses  'The  Old 
Forester '  writes  as  follows  :  '  There  is  no  place  where 
Nimrod  is  more  at  home  than  on  the  coach  box,  and 

17 


124  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

I  see  with  pleasure  he  has  resumed  the  sul)jert  of  "  the 
road." 

"  '  Ou  the  subject  of  "  bearing  reins"!  quite  agree 
with  liini.  It  is  not  only  a  relief  to  the  arm  of  the 
driver,  but  to  the  horse  himself  in  a  long  journey. 
The  look  of  a  thing  goes  a  great  way  in  England,  and 
no  man  who  wishes  to  turn  out  well  Avould  dispense 
with  the  bearing  rein.  One  of  your  correspondents 
thinks  horses  will  go  safer  without  the  bearing  rein, 
and  brings  in  the  Continental  practice  as  proof.  I  also 
have  been  on  the  Continent  a  good  deal,  and  have 
seen  the  fallacy  of  that  argument.  I  have  also  traveled 
a  o-ood  deal  in  mail  and  fast  coaches,  and  never  vet 
saw  a  horse  foirly  down  in  one  of  them.  \  have  seen 
a  wheel  horse  sometimes  all  but  down,  and  only  kept 
on  his  legs  bv  a  bearing;  rein.'  " 

Nimrod,  in  his  chapter  on  Bearing  Keins,  Fast 
Coaches,  and  Linchpins,  in  Annals  of  tlie  Road,  says: 
"I  have  clearly  stated  the  al)solute  necessity  of  bearing 
up  the  coach  horse,  which  equally  applies  to  the  hand 
post  horse,  with  only  this  trifling  distinction  :  the  coach 
horse  is  generally  more  above  his  work  than  the  ]>ost 
horse,  and  he  is  also  always  running  home  (^'/v/o,  in  a 
hurry),  which  is  not  the  case  with  the  post  horse.  All 
those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  fast  work  well 
know  the  diflicultv  of  holding  horses  together  and  hav- 
ing a  })erfect  command   over  them   even   Avith  bearing 


THE  USE   OF   BEARING   REINS.  125 

reins ;  but  I  Mill  venture  to  add  that  the  man  is  vet  un- 
horn  who  could  drive  some  coaches  that  1  could  name 
without  the  use  of  these  necessary  articles.     lu  the  first 
place,  there  are  many  horses — sometimes  whole  teams 
— that  will    not    f\ice    anything   l)ut    the    cheek ;    and 
where  is  the  arm  tliat  could  bear  the  weic-ht  of  four 
horses  leaning  upon  it  for  an   hour  or  more  together, 
perhaps  at  full   gallop?      How  much  soever  humanity 
toward  horses  may  be   enjoined,  regard   for  our  own 
species  must  prevail,  and  no  horse  in  a  coach  or  a  post 
chaise  is  safe  without  a  bearing  rein  ;  and  for  this  rea- 
son he  is  in  constant  danger,  from  having  his  head  at 
liberty,  of  losing  his  bridle  by  rubbing  his  head  against 
the  pole  or  against  the  other  horse,  and  then  an  acci- 
dent is  almost  sure  to  happen,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
York   Highflyer   coach  last  year,  by   which   a   woman 
lost  her  life.     To  this  must  be  added  the  certainty  of 
his  being  the  more  likely  to  tall,  which  I  have,  I  think, 
clearly  ])rovod  in   a   former  letter.     I  know  that  here 
and   there  is  to  be  foinid  an   advocate  for  no  bearino- 
rein — Mr.  Ward,  for  instance,  a  good  coachman  of  the 
old   school,  but  slow  as    to  pace — and  I  had  a  pretty 
good  taste  of  it  last  winter,  Avhen  staying  with  Sir  Bel- 
lingham  Graham,  in   Shropshire.      He  took   it  into  his 
head  to  drive  a  pair  of  wheelers  without  bearing  reins, 
and  neither  the  baronet  nor  myself  can  soon  forget  the 
strain  on  the  muscles  of  our  arms  when  drivius;  those 


126  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

horses,  aud  how  glad  we  wei'e  sometimes  to  change 
places.  To  so  experienced  a  coachman  as  himself  I  did 
not  intrude  my  opinion,  much  less  attempt  to  instruct 
him  ;  but  had  I  been  the  owner  of  the  gallant  little 
cropped  horse  that  went  near-wheel,  I  would  not  only 
have  put  a  bearing  rein  upon  him,  but  a  good  tight  side 
rein  also ;  he  should  have  pulled  at  something  else  be- 
sides my  arm.  Some  people  object  to  side  reins  upon 
a  leader,  in  case  of  his  partner  bolting  across  the  road 
and  taking  him  Avith  him  ;  but  this  can  not  happen  to  a 
wheeler,  as  there  is  the  pole  aud  the  power  of  the  lead- 
ers at  the  end  of  it  to  contend  with  and  to  stop  him. 
There  is  another  reason,  and  a  verv  strong  one,  in 
favour  of  the  bearing  rein.  !Many  horses  are  good 
coach  horses  for  six  miles,  but  far  from  good  ones  for 
twelve  miles.  Toward  the  end  of  a  stage  they  begin  to 
bore  upon  their  bits,  and  were  it  not  for  the  resistance 
of  the  bearing  rein  they  would  get  their  heads  down  to 
their  knees ;  and  where  is  the  man  who  could  prevent 
this  being  the  case  with  four  jaded  horses,  having 
nothing  to  hang  upon  but  his  arms  ?  " 

Lord  William  Pitt  Lennox,  in  his  Coaching,  with 
Anecdotes  of  the  Road,  says :  "  A  fashion  has  lately 
sprung  up  among  us,  or  rather,  I  should  say,  been 
adopted  (for  it  is  of  American  origin),  and  that  is, 
the  almost  total  abolition  of  the  bearing  rein.  Much 
has    been    said,    written,    and    argued    pro    and    con. 


THE  USE  OF  BEARING  REINS.  127 

Some  assert,  and  with  truth,  that,  generally  speak- 
ing, it  is  less  safe,  for,  as  the  best  and  soundest 
horse  may  once  in  twelve  months  make  a  mistake, 
the  advocates  for  the  loose  rein  can  not  help  to  ad- 
mit that  a  bearing  rein  must  assist  the  horse  to 
recover  himself  under  such  circumstances.  All  ex- 
tremes are  bad,  and  no  one  would  Avish  to  torture 
an  animal's  mouth  by  pulling  his  head  into  an  un- 
natural position,  like  a  dromedary,  with  an  excru- 
ciatingly tight  bearing  rein  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  absence  of  one  is  open  to  objection.  Some 
horses  may  and  do  carry  themselves  so  well  that 
a  bearing  rein  appears  superfluous ;  but,  nevertheless, 
it  may  be  useful,  and  for  this  reason  should  never 
be  entirely  dispensed  with.  I  do  not  say  that  ex- 
ceptions may  not  be  permitted.  Those  possessed  of 
thoroughbred  horses,  endowed  with  superior  action, 
may  indulge  in  any  w  him  or  caprice  they  like ;  and 
animals  worth  from  four  hundred  guineas  to  six 
hundred  guineas  apiece,  and  Avhich  go  with  their 
heads  up,  of  course  do  not  require  a  bearing  rein, 
but  I  condemn  the  principle  for  universal  adoption ; 
and  I  have  heard  the  opinions  of  some  of  the  best 
coachmen  of  the  day,  both  amateur  and  professional, 
who  have  asserted  that  for  the  generality  of  horses 
the  practice  is  a  dangerous  one.  Some  animals' 
heads   are   put    on    differently   from    others,  and   con- 


228  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

sequently  they  vary  in  their  mode  of  carrying  them. 
Some,  for  instance,  are  stargazers  and  appear  to  be 
taking  hmar  observations,  while  others  poke  their 
heads  forward  in  such  a  longitudinal  form  that  they 
resemble  in  this  particular  the  Continental  swine 
trained  for  grabbing  truffles.  The  plan  1  should 
like  to  see  adopted  would  be  to  have  a  bearing 
rein  with  an  elastic  end  to  it,  so  that  the  horses 
that  did  not  require  having  their  heads  held  Avell 
up  Avould  not  be  deprived  of  the  ornament  of  such 
a  rein;  and  even  with  horses  that  did  require  it,  if 
the  elastic  was  pretty  strong,  it  would  aid  them  in 
case  of  a  trip  or  stumble." 

C.  T.  S.  Birch  Reynardson,  in  his  Down  the 
Road,  says :  "  Don't  think  me  an  old  muff,  if  I  say, 
Don't  drive  in  London  and  round  the  park,  where 
you  no  doubt  wish  to  look  smart,  without  bearing 
reins.  I  don't  mean  to  say.  Bear  your  horses  up  as 
if  their  heads  and  tails  were  tied  together,  but  use 
bearing  reins.  Your  team  will  look  smarter,  and  you 
will  have  more  comfort  with  them  than  without 
them.  It  is  very  seldom  that  four  horses  all  carry 
theii-  heads  in  the  right  place;  and  if  one  or  two  of 
them  are  inclined  to  get  theii-  heads  down,  it  not 
oidy  looks  bad,  but  it  is  a  considerable  nuisance  to 
the  driver  to  have  to  carry  his  licti'ses'  heads,  to  pre- 
vent  them    lolling    them    against    the    pole   hook,  and 


THE  USE  OF   BEARING  REINS.  129 

perhaps  catching  their  bits  in  the  pole  chains,  which 
I  have  seen  occur  more  than  once.  In  former  days 
I  remember  bearing  reins  on  •  the  road.'  They  were 
discarded,  from  the  fancy,  I  suppose,  that  horses 
worked  freer  Avithout  them.  I  think  thev  did,  but 
if  they  got  a  bit  tired,  or  if  they  were  not  of  a 
good  sort,  thev  often  got  their  heads  down,  and 
lolled  about  and  bored  till  they  made  your  arms 
ache." 

Athol  Maudslav,  in  his  llighwavs  and  Horses 
says :  "  The  celebrated  coaching  song  of  the  last  cen- 
tury was    The  Tantivy  Trot.     It  ran  as  follows: 

Here's  to  the  arm  that  can  hold  them  when  gone. 

Still  to  a   galloi)  inclined,  sir; 
Heads  in  the  front,  with  no  bearing  reins  on. 

Tails  with  no  cruppers  behind,  sir. 

If  this  was  the  coaching  song  of  the  last  century, 
it  only  proves  that  the  coachmen  of  those  days  had 
more  good  sense  than  is  possessed  by  their  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren,  the  coachmen  of  the 
present  day.  This  verse  exactly  expresses  my  own 
opinion  as  to  bearing  reins  and  cruppers.  No  bear- 
ing rein  should  be  used  on  any  account  whatever ; 
it  is  a  most  abominable  practice.  A  horse,  if  he  be 
worth  anvthing  and  has  good  shoulders,  will  hold 
his  head  well  enough  without  any  bearing  rein,  and 
the  whole  position   of  the   animal  will   be  more  natu- 


130  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

ral  aud  more  graceful,  and  he  will  be  less  likely 
to  fall,  and,  if  he  does  fall,  will  be  better  able  either 
to  recover  his  balance  or  get  up  again.  A  horse, 
when  he  starts  a  load  or  mounts  a  hill,  when  left  to 
himself,  lowers  his  head  and  throws  his  weight  into 
the  collar;  but  if  his  head  is  held  up  in  the  air  he 
can  not  employ  the  same  mechanical  force.  Even  on 
descending  a  hill  a  horse  needs  the  free  use  of  his 
head  to  act  as  a  counterbalance  ;  and  it  may  be  re- 
marked by  anyone  who  has  observed  a  horse  turned 
out  in  a  field  on  the  slo])e  of  a  hill,  that,  when  he 
gallops  downhill  his  head  is  not  stuck  up  in  the 
air  so  that  he  can  not  see  Avhere  he  is  going,  but 
is  held  in  a  natural  and  suitable  position,  and  one 
best  qualified  to  maintain  his  balance.  A  horse 
when  down  on  the  ground  always  raises  his  head 
before  attempting  to  rise ;  were  his  head  confined 
by  a  bearing  rein  when  in  this  position,  I  doubt  if 
he  could  get  up  at  all.  A  horse  is  certainly  not  so 
liable  to  stumble  Avhen  he  has  no  bearing  rein  as 
when  he  has  one." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

CARRIAGES. 

Many  of  the  carriages  illustrated  here  are  of  dis- 
tinctly English  origin,  and,  in  consequence,  their  ad- 
mirers are  charged  with  Anglomaniacism. 

Is  it  not  absurd  that  persons  should  exist  in  this 
nineteenth  century  so  narrow-minded  as  to  deny  the 
presence  of  good  in  anything  foreign  ? 

Our  English  cousins  have  considered  the  subject 
of  equipage  for  years,  and  have  achieved  many  prac- 
tical results.  England  and  France  have  until  recently 
surpassed  all  other  countries  in  the  construction  and 
production  of  carriages.  It  is  therefore  quite  right 
and  proper  for  us  to  profit  as  far  as  possible  by  their 
experience,  to  the  extent  of  reproducing  such  vehicles 
as  may  be  useful  and  practical. 

It  seems  probable  that  America  will  before  long  be 
foremost  in  the  driving  world.  Her  builders  are  fully 
equal,  if  not  superior,  to  those  on  the  other  side  of  the 
water.  The  native  woods  are  the  best  procurable,  and 
if  it  Avere  not  for  the  high  cost  of  production  the  im- 
portation of  foreign-made  carriages  would  be  prac- 
tically nil. 

131 


132  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

lu  order  to  criticise  any  vehicle  impartially,  it  is 
necessary  to  know  and  understand  the  uses  for  which 
it  is  intended.  The  light  country  station  wagon  is  as 
much  out  of  place  in  our  city  streets  as  the  landau 
would  be  if  used  on  some  of  our  sandy  country  roads. 

The  excessive  weight  of  English  carriages  is  a  sub- 
ject of  comment,  and  perhaps  somewhat  justly  so  in 
many  cases.  There  is  an  old  saying  that  "in  order 
to  drive  handsomely  one  must  drive  heavily,"  and  this 
is  pretty  generally  borne  out,  provided  the  word  hand- 
somely is  properly  applied.  A  young  girl  in  a  simple 
muslin  gown  may  be  very  prettUtf  and  attract} veJij 
dressed,  oftentimes  more  so  than  her  sister  whose 
gown  is  a  handsome  and  expensive  production  from 
the  hands  of  the  celebrated  Worth ;  but  while  one 
sister  is  prepared  to  attend  a  formal  function,  the  other 
is  on  the  way  to  a  small  lawn  party.  Each  is  there- 
fore appropriately  dressed.  The  handsome  gown  Avould 
look  out  of  place  where  the  pretty  one  is  suitable,  and 
vice  versa. 

The  light  trotting  wagon  of  purely  American  origin 
bears  somewhat  the  same  relation  to  the  victoria,  for 
example,  as  did  the  sisters'  gowns  to  one  another. 
Each  is  suited  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  is  designed : 
the  handsome  victoria  to  the  formal  drive  or  call,  and 
the  prctfji  and  attractive  trotting  wagon  to  a  delight- 
ful spin  on  a  good  boulevard  or  country  road. 


o 

-a 


•3 


CARRIAGES.  133 

A  few  years  ago  the  siipi)oi"ter  of  the  road  wagon 
made  game  of  the  heavier  vehicles,  and  the  advocates 
of  the  latter  type  were  equally  sarcastic.  Time  has 
wrought  some  changes,  however,  for  we  find  many 
men  of  means  and  taste  indulging  in  both  the  heavy 
and  light  harness  types,  keeping  each  class  distinct 
and  yet  turning  both  out  well.  To  such  an  end  as  this 
the  present  work  is  directed.  If  more  vehicles  of  the 
heavier  type  are  illustrated,  it  is  simply  because  there 
happen  to  be  more  standard  carriages  of  that  sort  in 
general  use. 

Weight,  by  the  way,  in  a  carriage  does  not  neces- 
sarily mean  a  heavy  draught  where  the  roads  are  good, 
for  a  heavily  loaded  four-in-hand  coach,  well  con- 
structed, will  run  with  comparatively  little  exertion  on 
the  part  of  the  horses. 

The  side-bar  wagon  is  one  of  the  few  examples  of 
a  standard  vehicle  which  is  peculiarly  identified  with 
this  country.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  it  has 
changed  very  little  in  general  shape,  and  is  not  likely 
to  do  so  for  some  time  to  come.  Fashion  at  one  time 
dictated  that  the  lining  should  be  green  and  the  tops 
have  three  bows  ;  at  another,  blue  with  four  bows,  etc. 
To-day  the  design  of  the  vehicle  is  almost  unvarying, 
but  each  owner  exercises  his  individual  taste  as  to 
colours  and  trimming,  which  is  much  the  more  rational 
principle. 


134  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

Tlie  reason  for  this  consistency  is  found  in  the  prac- 
ticahty  of  the  road  wagon  for  its  purpose,  combining, 
as  it  does  Hghtness,  strength,  and  a  shape  which  is  in 
keeping  with  the  swinging  stride  of  the  trotter  pure 
and  simple. 

A  number  of  heavier  carriages  have  become  stand- 
ard in  much  the  same  manner,  and  a  rapid  departure 
from  the  designs  which  have  been  in  use  for  manv 
years  is  generally  unsuccessful.  The  introduction  of 
an  entirely  new  vehicle  is  sometimes  a  benefit,  more 
frequently  a  detriment. 

Almost  every  enthusiastic  owner  in  the  early  part 
of  his  career  is  seized  with  invention  in  the  embrvo 
state,  and  is  not  satisfied  until  he  has  evolved  some 
abortion  in  the  Avay  of  a  carriage  tohich  shall  he  noticed. 
He  generally  succeeds  in  achieving  this  end,  and  pre- 
sents his  i^roduction  to  the  view  of  his  unfortunate 
friends  with  the  air  of  a  conqueror.  Unless  he  is  a 
crank,  however,  he  will  appreciate  the  error  of  his 
ways  within  a  few  years,  and  will  hide  his  diminished 
head  when  the  subject  of  his  chef  d'oeuvre  is  men- 
tioned. 

Any  changes  in  existing  designs  of  carriages  which 
give  more  symmetry  of  outline  or  improvement  in  con- 
struction should  be  welcomed.  A  close  observer  will 
note  that  such  improvements  are  quite  often  brought 
about  by  shnj)//Jic(ff'/o/t,  but  very  rarely  by  eh(hor((fion. 


-J 


C 


I 
i 


CARRIAGES.  ■\  35 

Take,  t'oi'  oxninplc.  tlir  "  sodaii  "  l)r()ii<2;]ianis  and  the 
cabi'iolets  \vlii('h  have  Ixmmi  introduced  within  tlie  past 
feAv  years,  and  are  what  might  I)e  tei'nied  elabora- 
tions of  staiuhii'd  carriages  ;  even  the  casual  observer 
realizes  that  these  carriages  must  be  relegated  to  the 
hack  stands  long  before  their  period  of  usefulness  is 
accomplished,  tlie  only  (luestion  being  whether  the 
hackmeii   will   have  them  at  any  ]irice. 

The  moi'c  eccentric  the  ty))e.  the  shorter  lived  it  is 
and  the  sooner  it  must  be  supplanted.  This  qnality  is 
just  what  is  wanted  by  our  rapidly  growing  class  of 
nouveaux  riches.  They  wish  their  accpiaintances  to 
know  that  f//c//  buy  a  new  carriage  every  vear.  so  the 
more  noticeable  the  change  the  better  they  are  suited. 
Who  can  blame  the  coachbuildei's  for  catering  to  this 
class,   who  form   really  their  best-paying  patrons? 

It  quite  often  happens  that  there  are  sevei-al  existing 
designs  of  the  same  variety  of  carriage,  all  of  which 
may  be  equally  correct,  in  a  pro]ier  carriage  of  any 
sort  we  will  find  the  following  ]ioints  :  Appropriate  dig- 
nity with  .simplicity,  well-balanced  lines,  an  absence  of 
elaborate  and  fancy  carving  or  iron  work,  and  an  air  of 
luxury  without  ostentation. 

Such  an  effect  can  only  l)e  produced  when  the  pro- 
portions and  treatment  throughout  are  in  perfect  ac- 
cord— an  end  much  more  ditticult  of  attainment  than 
one  would  at  lirst  suppose. 

18 


136  DRIVING   FUR   PLEASURE. 


CARRIAGES    FOR    AX    OWNER'S    DRIVING.. 

FOUR-WHEELERS. 

We  will  now  take  up  the  leading  types  of  four- 
wlieel  carriao-es  which  are  intended  for  an  owner's  indi- 
vidual  driving. 

Md'il  Phaeton. 

The  mail  plwu'ton  (Plate  LXI)  heads  the  list  of  such 
carriages,  and  is  and  lias  been  for  many  years  the  high- 
est type  of  vehicle  for  the  pnri)ose.  It  was  lirst  intro- 
duced early  in  the  time  of  (Jeorge  IV  as  a  vehicle  for 
city  use.  and  later  w  as  employed  extensively  in  making- 
long  journeys.  It  is  capacious  aiul  thoroughly  conifort- 
al)le.  hanging,  as  it  does,  on  leather  robbins  with  plat- 
form springs,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  most  lu.xurious 
carriage  of  its  kind  in  existence.  It  is  ju-operly  a  very 
lai'ge  vehicle,  and  requires  horses  measuring  sixteen 
hands  oi'  over,  with  a  great  deal  of  (piality  and  good 
level  action,  which  can  do  at  least  twelve  nules  an 
hour.  For  diiving  in  the  paik  two  servants  should  be 
cari'ied.  both,  ])ro])erly  speaking,  in  grooms'  liveries. 
This  carriage,  being  one  of  the  most  dignihed  in  type, 
must  never  be  turned  out  carelessly.  The  harness  is 
luuch  the  saiue  as  that  for  the  four-in-hand  park 
wheel,  and  i-equires  in  town  the  use  of  full  bearing  reins 


"3 


CARmAGES.  137 

and  Buxton  bits,  also  loin  straps.  Considered  from 
another  point  of  view — viz.,  as  a  travelling  carriage, 
with  either  two  or  three  horses  abreast,  road  harness, 
and  servants  in  stable  clothes — it  is  one  of  the  most 
suitable  carriages  possible.  The  hood,  which  is  ample, 
provides  a  thorough  protection  in  stormy  weather,  and 
there  is  sufficient  room  for  the  stowage  of  luggage, 
etc.,  especially  when  the  hind  panel  is  hinged. 

Demi-mml  Phaeton. 

Next  to  the  mail  in  order  of  dignity  comes  the 
demi-mail  phaeton  (Plate  LXIII).  In  this  carriage  the 
perch  has  been  dispensed  Avith,  and  it  is  a  trifle  lighter 
and  smaller  throughout ;  it  requires  the  services  of  only 
one  groom.  The  horses  should  be  of  the  same  stamp 
as  those  used  in  tlie  mail,  but  smaller  and  with  UK)re 
brilliant  action. 

Stanhope  Phaeton. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  Stanhope  phaeton  (Plate 
LXIV),  which  was  originally  ]iroduced  by  mounting  a 
Stanhope  gig  on  four  wheels  and  adding  thereto  a  boot 
for  the  servant.  It  is  smaller  than  either  the  mail  or 
demi-mail,  and  has  an  arch  which  admits  of  the  front 
Avheels  turninu:  under.  It  nuiv,  if  desired,  be  used 
with  one  horse. 


138  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

T-Cnrt. 

The  T-cart  is  in  reality  only  a  modification  of  the 
Stanhope  phaeton,  without  the  hood  and  with  a  few 
other  trifling  differences  in  detail. 

Spider   Phd'eton. 

The  spider  phaeton  (Plate  LXV),  which  comes  last 
on  this  list,  is  a  more  modern  introduction,  and  is 
really  one  of  the  smartest  types  for  the  young  man's 
driving.  It  should  be  brilliantly  horsed  :  animals  about 
fifteen  two  hands  in  height,  lightly  buih,  with  a  great 
deal  of  (|uality  and  as  much  aii-ai'ouiul  action  as  can  be 
produced,  prcnided  it  is  progressive,  are  what  is  re- 
quired. This  cari'iago  is  especially  useful  foi'  horse 
show  work,  as  it  is  light  enough  to  enable  the  horses 
to  do  themselves  justice, 

Foiir-ii'JiccIcd   Dofjccni   or    Gdmrcdri. 

This  cari'iage  is  a  smart  example  of  its  type,  and 
may  be  used  either  taiulem   or  with   a   pair. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  lam]is  used  on  all  these 
carriages  have  dark  shutters,  so  that  they  can  with  ]ier- 
fect  pro|)i'iety  be  carried  in  the  daytime.  The  sjiider 
phaeton  illusti'ated  here  is,  however,  an  exception,  and 
a   lamp  such  as  is  shown  should   be  dispensed   with   for 


J 


carrtaCtES.  139 

day  driviiiix.     The  small  plain  s(|uare  lamp  might,  how- 
ever. 1)0   carried   in   place   at   all   times. 

Haviiiii"  discussed  the  carriages  appropriate  to  a 
gentleman's  driving.  Ave  will  next  consider  those  suit- 
able fV)r  a  lady's  use.  The  field  in  this  instance  is  a 
vei-y  narrow  one.  and  in  consequence  a  great  many 
women  have  been  inclined  to  affect  the  driving  of  a 
man's  carriage. 

George   IV   Phaeton. 

The  George  TV  phaeton  (Plate  LXVI)  heads  the 
list,  and  is  the  most  dignified  of  all  carriages  for  ladies' 
driving.  It  is  tlioi-oughly  luxurious  in  outline,  and  de- 
mands the  smartest  possible  tui-ning  out.  No  vehicle 
is  better  suited  to  disj)Iay  a  fashionable  costume.  A 
well-dressed  woman  driving  a  l»rilliant.  well-mannered, 
and  nicely  rounded  pair  of  matched  horses,  and  at- 
tended by  a  single  groom  in  immaculate  livery,  either 
a  tidy  lad  or  an  older  man  \vlio  is  slight  and  short, 
pi'esents  a   most  charming  picture. 

Peter's    had'ies     Plia'etoi}. 

Next  in  order  coines  a  carriage  which  is  known  as 
the  Peter's  ladies'  ]>lia('ton  (Plate  LXVIL),  being  a  copy 
of  one  originally  built  by  an  Kngli.sh  coachbuilder  of 
the  name.  It  is  an  attractive  cai'riage,  and  somewhat 
lighter    tlian    the    one    last   mentioned ;    is    also    better 


140  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

adapted  to  moniino;  and  informal  use  than  the  (George 
IV",  and  is  generally  drawn  liy  ponies  from  fourteen 
three  to  lifteen  hands  high. 

While  there  are  several  other  phaetons  for  ladies" 
use,  there  seem  to  be  none  suited  to  ]iark  work,  and 
which  may  be  considered  standard,  except  these  two. 

It  may  l)e  well  to  state  in  connection  with  the  full 
mail  and  George  IV  phaetons,  that  they  are  very  ex- 
pensive carriages,  and  there  being  comparatively  few 
persons  owning  stables  which  would  admit  of  their  use, 
they  will  be  found  difficult  to  disj)ose  of  except  at  a 
very  great  sacrifice.  Such,  in  tact,  is  the  case  with 
most  of  the  can-iages  which  require  a  ti-eatment  out 
of  the  general  run  in  order  to  turn  them  out  success- 
fullv. 


TWO-WTTEELERS. 

Under  this  heading  are  given  jihotographs  of  some 
of  the  best  tyj^es  of  two-wheeled  vehicles  intended  for 
single-horse  driving  by  an   owner. 

The  tilbuiw  (Plates  LXTX  and  LXX)  was  originally 
designed  by  tlie  ITon.  Fitzroy  Stanhope,  and  built  by 
a  coachbuilder  named  Tilbury.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and    haiulsomcst    tA\ o-whcelei's    in    use    at    the    present 


\ 

^ 


X 


CARRIAGES.  141 

time.  Unfortunately,  tor  inaiiy  year;*  it  was  laid  aside, 
but  it  has  recently  ])een  resuri-ected,  and  there  is  no 
carriao;e  more  smart  t'oi-  use  with  a  brilliant  goer.  The 
illustrations  show  both  its  side  and  rear  views,  which 
seemed  necessai-v  in  order  to  exhibit  its  characteristics 
in  detail.  Tiiis  requires  the  gig  harness,  as,  in  fact,  do 
all  the  carriages  mentioned  in  the  following  list,  except 
possibly  the  skeleton  gig. 

Stanhope    Gig. 

Next  in  order  comes  the  Stanhope  gig  (Plate 
LXXI),  also  designed  by  the  Hon.  Fitzroy  Stanhope, 
and  on  the  insistence  of  ]\Ir.  Tilbury  it  was  given 
his  name.  The  carriage  has  held  its  own  ever  since 
those  early  days  about  the  year  1815,  and,  although 
not  quite  as  generally  used  at  the  present  time, 
always  will  look  proper. 

Hooded    (r'uj. 

The  hooded  gig  (Plate  LXXII)  is  a  dignified  ve- 
hicle,   being    practically    a    Stanhope    gig    with    hood 

attached. 

Park    Gate    G\g. 

The  "park  gate"  gig  (Plate  LXXIII)  is  a  copy 
from  an  old  print,  and  is  a  very  smart  vehicle,  espe- 
ciahy  adapted  to  the  small,  thickset  hackney  type  of 
horse. 


142  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

Ye)\i/    Sp'ici/     (I'tfJ. 

The  "very  spicy"  o'ig  (Plate  LXXIY)  is  another 
departure  from  an  old  ])rint,  which  is  a  slight  luodi- 
ficatioii  of  the  tilbui-y  and  also  a  very  smart  vehicle. 
Like  the  tilbury,  it  is  })articularly  suited  to  a  light, 
airy-going  type  of  horse. 

By  the  way,  one  can  gi-asp  to  a  certain  extent. 
from  the  outlines  of  the  carriage  itself  the  stamp  of 
horse  which  it  i-equires.  In  all  these  carriages  the 
servant,  when  carried,  sliould  he  a  smai't,  dapjiei', 
young,  top-booted  gi'oom,  \vlio  should  sit  beside  his 
his  master  with  his  arms  folded. 

Skeleton     (•!</. 

The  skeleton  gig  (I'late  I. XXV)  is  a  nioditication 
of  a  vehicle  built  contem|)oraneously  with  the  tilbury 
and  Stanhope.  It  is  a  vei'v  useful  carriage,  and  on 
account  of  its  lightness  is  esi)ecially  adapted  to  ex- 
ercising; it  therefore  I'eipiires  a  sporting  harness, 
and   mav   l)e   driven   by   a   servant   in   stable  clothes. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  laiiijis  on  all  these  car- 
riages are  very  simple  and  plain,  and  can  with  perfect 
propriety  l)e  cari'ied  at  all  times.  La/y  coachmen  are 
fond  of  using  rubber  covers  for  their  lam])s  in  stormy 
weather ;  these  should,  under  no  circumstances,  be 
permitted. 


■•«r^ 


t^atiKjrt-MnitmKjffi  JCUCfA? 


^:*^^!i»'r««R 


a. 


o 


CARRIAGES.  143 

Paris  Ladi/s    Chaise. 

The  Paris  lady's  chaise  (Plate  LXXVI)  is  a  vehicle 
of  French  introduction  intended  for  a  lady's  use.  It 
does  not  admit  of  the  carrying  of  a  servant,  and 
requires  a  well-rounded  horse  a  trifle  over  fifteen 
hands,  rather  of  the  hackney  stamp. 

The    Curricle. 

The  curricle  (Plate  LXXIX)  was  for  years  one  of 
the  most  fashionable  town  carriages,  and  is  in  many 
respects  similar  to  its  successor,  the  cabriolet,  al- 
though the  latter  is  drawn  by  a  single  horse  and 
the  former  by  a  pair.  Sidney,  in  his  Book  of  the 
Horse,  gives  a  very  good  illustration  of  the  curricle 
as  turned  out  in  the  days  of  Charles  Dickens.  This 
was  the  carriage  which  many  of  Miss  Austen's  heroes 
were  supposed  to  have  affected.  It  is  described  as 
being  "  drawn  by  a  pair  of  horses  perfectly  matched 
in  size,  colour,  quality,  and  step ;  the  harness  being 
profusely  decorated  with  silver  ornaments,  united  by 
a  silver  bar,  which  supported  a  silver-mounted  pole ; 
preceded  or  followed  by  two  grooms  mounted  on 
another  pair  of  horses  equally  Avell  matched  with  the 
first,  secured  the  driver  and  his  companion  a  superb 
efiect,  which  combined  the  maximum  of  expense  Avith 
the  minimum  of  convenience."     Such  a  carriage  should 


144  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

be  turned  out  to-day  in  a  very  much  more  simple 
style,  and  is  the  best  adapted  for  use  with  a  pair  of 
any  two-wheeled  vehicle. 

Th'    Cabriolet. 

The  cabriolet  (Plate  LXXX)  is  described  by  S. 
Sidney  as  being  "  a  curricle  with  a  pair  of  shafts  and 
without  the  groom's  rumble.  It  was  in  the  height 
of  fashion  in  the  earlier  days  of  Queen  Victoria's 
reign." 

The  cabriolet  requires  a  single  horse  of  great  size 
and  beauty,  with  extraordinary  action,  especially  in 
his  slow  paces.  The  groom,  who  stands  behind,  is  so 
small  as  to  be  of  little  use  save  for  effect. 

The  horse  shown  in  the  plate  more  nearly  ap- 
proaches the  ideal  than  almost  any  other  animal  in 
this  country,  combining,  as  he  does,  marvellous  action 
at  both  slow  and  fast  paces  Avith  great  size,  quality, 
and  unusual  beauty  of  form. 


NON-SPORTING   TWO-WHEELERS. 
The   Jlansom    (M>. 

The  hansom  cab  (Plates  LXXXl  and  T.XXXIT)  as 
stated  in  Sidney's  Book  of  the  Horse,  was  invented 
by  a  Mr.  Hansom,  architect  of  the  Birmingham  Town 
Hall,    and    apparently   came   into    use  about    the   year 


a. 


« 

^ 


0, 


CAREIAGES.  145 

1840.  It  is  essentially  a  man's  carriage  for  town 
use,  and  in  a  city  where  good  paving  exists  will  be 
found  very  satisfactory.  It  has  an  unostentatious 
look  when  the  servant  is  dressed  in  either  stable 
clothes  or  a  plain  black  cutaway  coat,  top  felt  hat, 
with  breeches  and  gaiters.  In  rainy  weather  he  is 
supplied  with  what  is  called  an  upper  benjamin,  as 
shown  in  Plate  LXXXII.  This  garment  is  made  of  a 
waterproof  material,  and  is  very  similar  in  cut  to 
those  used  by  four-horse  coachmen.  The  hansom- 
cab  horse  should  always  have  considerable  quality 
and  good  level  action,  for  much  of  the  smooth 
riding  of  the  cab  depends  on  the  action  of  the  horse, 
provided  he  is  properly  harnessed. 

Breaking   Cart. 

Plate  LXXXIII  shows  a  useful  breaking  cart  and 
harness.  Both  are  thoroughly  adapted  to  the  purpose 
for  which  they  are  intended. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  harness  is  strongly  but 
simply  made,  and  the  shafts  long  enough  to  keep  the 
horse  well  clear  of  the  dash. 

The  Jaunting    Car. 

Plate  LXXXIV  is  an  illustration  of  a  jaunting  car 
which  is  used  in  Ireland,  and  is  considered  by  some  per- 
sons a  useful  and  practical  vehicle. 


146  DKIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 


FON-SPOETING    FOUR-WHEELERS. 

Tlic  Bvougliam. 

This  carriage  is  the  most  practical  and  the  most 
generally  used  of  all  town  carriages.  It  is  the  only 
closed  carria2;e  which  looks  well  with  one  horse 
and  one  servant,  and  when  turned  out  with  a  pair 
of  horses  of  a  suitable  size,  with  either  one  or  two 
servants,  it  may  be  made  to  look  really  smart. 

Invented,  as  it  was,  in  1839  1)y  Lord  Chancellor 
Brougham,  from  Avhom  its  name  was  derived,  it  has 
been  ever  since  that  time  the  one  carriage  patronized 
by  all  conditions  of  men  and  women,  because  of  its 
usefulness  and  effect. 

The  early  broughams  were  built  to  hold  two  persons 
only,  and  were  afterward  extended  to  accommodate 
four.  At  the  present  day  the  brougham  for  two  pas- 
sengers is  the  most  generally  used  and  is  the  best  in 
appearance  ;  but  the  so-called  extension  brougham  is 
perfectly  correct  and  a  useful  carriage,  especially  where 
there  is  a  family  of  childi'en. 

As  S.  Sidney  says,  in  chronicling  their  history : 
"  They  rapidly  came  into  use  in  the  highest  circles, 
when  the  fairest  of  the  fair  discovered  that  the  win- 
dows presented  charming  portraits,  and  that,  low  hung 
on  wheels,  they  had  all  the  advantages  of  the  curricle 


"3 
a. 


CARRIAGES.  147 

or  cabriolet,  with  none  of  their  dangers  or  difficuUies. 
It  was  found  that  the  magnificent  class  of  horse  previ- 
ously appropriated  to  the  cabriolet  looked  twice  as 
well  in  a  brougham,  could  travel  twice  as  far,  and,  with 
a  weight  off  his  fore  legs,  last  twice  as  long.  Besides, 
if  it  were  necessary  to  make  a  long  journey  instead  of 
a  succession  of  flashes  through  street  or  park,  the 
brougham  became  the  most  agreeable  conveyance 
where  the  beauties  of  Nature  were  not  the  object 
of  the  journey." 

In  England  it  has  been  the  j)ractice  for  many  years 
to  use  the  brougham  for  service  in  the  country,  and 
Avhere  the  roads  will  admit  of  so  heavy  a  carriage  it  is 
a  most  desirable  vehicle.  Rubber  tires  add  greatly  to 
their  comfort  in  the  city,  and  are  one  of  the  most  prac- 
tical improvements  of  modern  times. 

Plate  LXXXV  shoAvs  a  lady's  brougham  which  won 
in  an  appointment  class  in  Madison  Square  Garden. 
The  details  throughout  are  excellent.  The  lady's 
brougham  requires  two  servants  when  drawn  by  a 
pair.  To  carry  out  the  full  idea,  these  servants  should 
be  trim,  dapper,  and  not  too  tall,  the  groom  being  a 
trifle  the  smaller  and  shorter.  Plate  LXXXVII  shows 
the  rear  view  of  the  servants  on  the  brougham.  It  will 
be  noticed  that  the  groom  sits  a  little  lower  than  the 
coachman.  It  does  not  look  AveU  to  have  the  groom 
or   footman  show   more   height    on   the  box  than  the 


148  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

coachman.  The  cushion  for  the  driving  seat  is  made 
oil  the  same  level  for  both  servants,  and  is  either 
tufted  or  finished  plain,  slanting  slightly  toward  the 
front,  but  not  so  much  as  to  prevent  the  servants  sit- 
ting scpiarely  and  comfortably  on  it.  Nothing  looks 
worse  than  to  see  a  coachman  with  his  legs  stretched 
out  in  fi'ont  of  him;  and  there  is  no  position  more 
conducive  to  heavy  hands. 

The  bachelor  brougham  (Plate  LXXXYI),  it  will  be 
noticed,  is  turned  out  with  one  servant,  and  loin  straps 
are  dispensed  with,  otherwise  there  is  very  little  diifer- 
ence  in  the  general  treatment.  The  painting  may, 
however,  be  of  brighter  colours  than  in  the  lady's 
brougham. 

Where  there  are  two  servants  on  a  brougham,  the 
stable  shutters  should  be  up  when  the  carriage  is  driven 
from  the  stable  to  the  door,  on  reaching  which  they 
should  immediately  be  lowered  by  the  groom  or  foot- 
man and  the  windows  raised  halfway.  This  practice 
should  be  pursued  whenever  the  carriage  is  driven  any 
distance  without  occupants. 

It  seems  to  be  the  general  impression,  in  order  to 
properly  distinguish  the  bachelor's  brougham  from  the 
lady's  in  horse-show  appointment  classes,  that  a  cargo 
of  miscellaneous  masculinities  or  femininities  must  be 
carried,  but  this  is  not  at  all  essential. 


9 

B 


^ 


CARRIAGES.  149 

So-called   Cahrwlet  {Plate  XCI.) 

The  name  cabriolet  belongs  properly  to  the  two- 
wheeled  carriage  much  used  in  England  in  days  gone 
by,  and  shown  in  Plate  LXXX. 

For  some  unknown  reason  the  term  cabriolet  has 
been  applied  by  our  carriagebuilders  in  recent  years 
to  a  carriage  which  one  might  term  a  modification  of 
the  victoria.  This  carriage,  although  lacking  the  dig- 
nity and  grace  of  the  victoria,  is  a  practical  one,  as 
it  admits  of  turning  out  with  the  simplicity  of  the 
brougham,  and  can  therefore  very  properly  be  used  by 
a  woman  for  shopping,  etc.,  when  she  wishes  to  be 
out  in  the  open  air. 

The  whole  treatment  with  regard  to  harness  and 
appointments  is  identical  with  that  of  the  brougham. 
The  carriage  shown  happens  to  be  lined  with  a  fight 
material,  which  is  to  a  great  extent  a  matter  of  taste. 
Plain  morocco  simply  and  practically  fastened  is, 
however,  most  to  be  recommended  for  both  these 
carriages. 

It  may  be  said  that  a  miniature  eight  or  "  C  "  spring 
victoria  turned  out  in  the  same  manner  is  handsomer, 
more  comfortable,  and  equally  appropriate. 


150  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

The  Landau  {Plate  XCII). 

Next  to  the  brougham  as  a  useful  carriage  for  fam- 
ily purjjoses  the  landau  should  be  mentioned,  for  it  is 
the  most  practical  city  carriage  extant  for  four  pas- 
sengers. 

In  ordinary  stables  it  is  well  to  have  this  carriage 
built  somewhat  in  miniature,  for  this  admits  of  using 
the  same  harness,  general  appointments,  etc.,  as  are  re- 
quired on  a  full-sized  brougham.  But  when  the  full- 
sized  landau  is  used,  the  horses,  harness,  servants, 
etc.,  should  correspond  Avith  those  described  for  the 
chariot  d'Orsay. 

Eight  or   "(?"   SjJrhuj    Victoria  {Plate  XCIII). 

This  carriage  is  an  adaptation  of  the  old  cabriolet 
phaeton,  and  first  came  into  use  as  a  fashionable  one 
during  the  French  empire.  It  belongs  properly  to  the 
class  of  "o;rand  carriages,"  and  should  be  used  oulv  for 
formal  calls  or  for  the  "  promenade  on  wheels."  When 
full  sized  it  requires  a  pair  of  horses  over  sixteen  hands 
high,  perfectly  matched,  and  with  much  quality  and 
action.  The  harness  admits  of  a  little  more  elabora- 
tion than  that  of  the  brougham,  bottle-shaped  pads 
being  the  more  correct.  The  horses'  tails  should  l)e  a 
trifle    set    up,   and    either    banged   so    that   they    hang 


3 

s 


\; 


"5 

5; 


CARRIAGES.  151 

gracefully  about  to  the  top  of  the  second  thigh,  or 
pulled  so  that  they  do  uot  come  below  the  traces. 

The  coachman,  on  all  of  these  grand  carriages, 
should  be  a  large  man,  somewhat  portly,  and  custom 
up  to  the  present  time  advocates  his  sitting  on  a  raised 
box.  This  custom,  however,  is  subject  to  criticism,  for 
the  coachman  and  footman,  sitting,  as  they  do,  on  such 
different  levels,  detract  in  a  measure  from  the  balanced 
appearance  of  the  equipage.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  a 
few  years'  time  will  show"  an  absence  of  the  driving 
cushion,  even  on  vehicles  of  this  type. 

The  footman  should  be  tall  and  slim,  and  should  be 
thoroughly  well  trained.  Dummy  box  coats  should 
never  be  used,  and,  ordinarily  speaking,  it  is  best  not 
to  show  the  servants'  greatcoats,  unless  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  they  be  carried  on  account  of  the 
weather. 

Coupe  d'Ovsay  {Plate  XCVI). 

This  carriage  is  the  French  adaptation  of  the  char- 
iot d'Orsay,  and  while  not  quite  as  dignified  as  the  lat- 
ter carriage,  it  is  nevertheless  a  formal  one  and  not 
intended  for  everyday  use. 

It  should  be  horsed  and  harnessed  as  described  for 
the  "C"  spring  victoria. 


20 


152  DRIVING   FOR  PLEASURE. 

The   Caliche  {Plate  XCV). 

This  carriage  can  be  classed,  as  is  the  chariot 
d'Orsay,  under  the  heading  of  "  state  "  in  the  turning- 
out,  as  it  corresponds  in  all  points  with  that  of  the  car- 
riage just  mentioned. 

The  example  here  shown  is  a  most  excellent  one, 
for  it  will  be  noticed  that,  although  in  itself  an  elab- 
orate carriage,  it  has  no  unnecessary  decoration,  and 
its  lines  throughout  are  easy  and  gi-aceful. 

The   Chariot  d' Ovmy  [Plate  XCVI). 

Here  we  have  a  grand  carriage  which  properly 
belongs  to  the  "state"  order.  It  is  not  at  all 
suited  for  use  in  this  democratic  country  of  ours, 
unless  the  stable  be  supplied  with  a  brougham  as 
well.  It  is  intended  simply  for  the  most  formal 
calling  or  for  the  park. 

The  general  appointments  are  similar  to  those  of  the 
"C"  spi'ing  victoria,  exce])t  that  the  horses  should 
have  more  substance,  and  should  wear  breechings. 

In  England,  where  this  carriage  can  be  turned 
out  with  servants  in  powdered  wigs  and  smallclothes, 
it  is  customary  to  use  hammercloths  and  a  knife- 
board  for  the  footmen,  but  even  there  less  ostenta- 
tion is  seen  to-day  than  in  the  past. 


to 


CARRIAGES.  153 

The  example  shown  here  would  conform  more 
thoroughly  to  the  general  idea  of  the  vehicle  if 
supplied  with  Colhnge's  in  place  of  mail  axles. 

Landau    Grande  Daumont  [Plate  XCVII). 

The  equipage  shoAvn  here  is  as  turned  out  in  the 
days  of  the  Empire,  and  is  a  most  excellent  example 
of  a  "  state "  carriage.  Those  interested  in  appoint- 
ments will  notice  how  perfectly  all  the  details  cor- 
respond with  those  which  are  proper  at  the  present 
day.  Of  course,  the  whole  establishment  is  more  os- 
tentatious than  is  admissible  in  this  country,  but  such 
a  carriage,  with  a  boot  and  coachman's  box,  splen- 
didly horsed  and  turned  out  as  described  for  the 
chariot  d'Orsay,  could  be  used  here  with  perfect 
propriety. 

The   Omnibus  {Plates  XCYIII  and  XCIX). 

This  carriage  is  of  French  origin,  and  has  come 
into  general  use  comparatively  recently.  It  may 
fairly  be  called  the  most  useful  all-around  vehicle 
we  have,  and  in  a  good-sized  family  stable  can 
scarcely  be  dispensed  with. 

The  accompanying  illustrations  portray  one  of  the 
best  designs  of  the  o-enus  omnibus  which  we  have  in 
this  country,  and  it  is  well  turned  out.  The  absence 
of  loin  straps  and    the  use  of  Liverpool  bits  may  be 


154  DRIVING   FOE  PLEASURE. 

criticised  by  some,  but  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  omnibus  chisses  rather  as  an  informal  car- 
riage, and  its  treatment  admits  of  a  shoht  relaxa- 
tion  from  the  most  rigid  rules  of  form. 

In  the  morning  the  omnibus  is  used  for  station 
work,  etc.,  in  the  country ;  and  in  town,  to  take  the 
nurses  and  children  for  an  airing.  In  the  first  in- 
stance it  is  proper  for  the  servants  to  wear  their 
undress  liveries  (described  in  Chapter  X),  and  the  same 
dress  is  preferable  in  the  second  instance.  When  this 
carriage  is  used  in  the  afternoon  or  evening,  either 
in  town  or  at  a  fashionable  watering  place,  the  serv- 
ants should  wear  their  full  liveries,  as  in  the  photo- 
graph, and  the  harness  should  carry  out  the  same 
idea.  For  real  country  use,  undress  liveries  at  all 
times  are  in  the  best  taste. 

It  is  customary  to  have  a  roof  seat  on  such  an 
omnibus,  the  lazyback  and  cushion  for  which  are 
removed  when  the  servant  is  to  drive,  except  when 
the  seat  is  needed  for  the  transporting  of  house  serv- 
ants. This  seat  is  ordinarily  used  when  the  carriage 
is  temporarily  transformed  into  a  four-in-hand  trap. 
The  servants  then  wear  undress  liveries  and  ride 
inside,  while  the  owner  and  his  guests  occupy  the  box 
and  roof  seats. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  omnibus  hardly 
classes  as   a  proper  four-in-hand  vehicle,  and   for  this 


I 

^ 


.■=0 

U 


5 


CARRIAGES.  I55 

reason  it  should  be  turned  out  as  plainly  as  possible 
to  avoid  criticism. 

Pole  chains  should  be  used  in  place  of  pole  pieces, 
and  the  lamps  should  be  carried  inside. 

For  country  use,  where  it  is  often  necessary  to 
drive  long  distances  over  heavy  roads,  an  adjust- 
ment of  two  poles,  so  that  three  horses  can  be 
driven  abreast,  is  very  practical. 

The  baggage  rail  on  the  roof  adds  greatly  to  the 
usefulness  of  the  carriage,  as  it  enables  one  fre- 
quently to  dispense  with  the  services  of  a  baggage 
wagon. 

Hungarian  Phaeton  [Plate   C). 

Up  to  the  present  time  this  carriage  has  not 
been  used  in  America,  but  it  is  so  attractive  in 
design  that  we  have  illustrated  it,  thinking  it 
might  find  some  admirer  who  would  care  to  have 
it  reproduced. 


CAKRIAGES   OF  AMERICAN   ORIGIN. 

Road   Wagon. 

The  road  wagon  (Plate  CV),  light  four-wheeled  dog- 
cart (Plate  CVII),  surrey  (Plate  CVIII),  and  possibly 
the  lady's  phaeton  (Plate  CJX)  and  extension  top  phae- 
ton (Plate  CX),  are  properly  turned  out  with  trotting- 


156  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 

bred  horses  with  tails  iindocked,  and  with  that  beauti- 
ful production  of  our  harnessmakers'  art,  the  road 
harness.  These  carriages  are  most  useful  for  country 
work,  and  for  fast  trotting  generally.  The  servant, 
when  carried,  should  alw^ays  wear  undress  livery. 

Six-seat  Rockaway. 

The  six-seat  rockaway  (Plate  CXI)  and  coupe  rock- 
away  (Plate  CXII)  are  familiar  to  all,  but  have  been, 
more  or  less  of  necessity,  relegated  to  country  use,  as 
it  is  difficult  for  a  coachman  to  drive  in  our  crowded 
city  streets  from  such  a  low  seat.  The  general  appoint- 
ments described  for  the  brougham  are  in  order  for  use 
in  these  carriages. 

Wagonette  and  Station  Wagon. 
The  wagonette  (Plates  CXIII  and  CXIV)  and  station 
wagon  (Plate  CXV)  are  still  further  evidences  of  Amer- 
ican practicality.  The  wagonette  especially  is  a  vehicle 
which  can  scarcely  be  dispensed  with  in  the  country 
for  running  to  the  station,  etc.,  as  it  carries  the  largest 
possible  number  of  passengers  with  the  least  effort  to 
the  horses.  Undress  Hveries  should  almost  invariably 
be  used  on  such  carriages,  and  a  brougham  harness 
is  proper  ;  but  whei-e  the  harness  is  made  solely  for 
this  purpose,  it  should  be  a  trifle  lighter  throughout 
than  that  for  the  brougham.     Roominess  is  one  of  the 


■a 


CARRIAGES.  157 

most  important  features  of  the  station  wagon,  and  it 
is  particularly  necessary  to  have  the  door  sufficiently 
wide,  and  so  arranged  that  when  the  curtains  are 
down  there  is  room  for  a  woman  to  get  in  and  out 
comfortably  without  soiling  her  gown  against  the 
wheels.  There  is  no  stereotyped  pattern  for  these  car- 
riages, as  practicality  is  the  most  important  point  to 
be  considered,  and  many  persons  differ  as  to  what  con- 
stitutes this. 

Runabout. 

The  runabout  (Plate  CXVI)  and  buckboard  (Plate 
CXVII)  are  also  most  useful  vehicles.  The  former  to- 
day may  be  said  to  be  more  generally  used  than  any 
other  light  wagon  for  two  passengers.  The  harness 
which  looks  best  and  is  most  generally  used  is  de- 
scribed in  the  chapter  on  Harness  and  Harnessing  ;  but 
where  the  horse  is  a  long-tailed  roadster  an  American 
trotting  harness  should  be  used. 

Errand   Wagon. 

We  have  given  in  Plate  CXVIII  an  example  of 
a  practical  business  wagon  for  running  on  errands, 
station  work,  etc. 


158  DRIVING  FOR  PLEASURE. 


NONDESCRIPT   CARRIAGES. 

There  are  several  carriages,  such  as  the  slat-side 
phaeton  and  beach  phaeton  here  shown,  which  may 
fairly  be  classed  under  this  head.  They  are  modifica- 
tions of  carriages  which  are  used  on  the  other  side  of 
the  water,  and  are  better  adapted  to  our  use  when  of 
light  construction,  although  they  lose  somewhat  of 
their  character.  Of  course  there  are  many  other  car- 
riages which  may  come  under  the  same  designation, 
some  good,  many  bad. 

Undress  liveries  should  be  used  with  almost  all  of 
them. 


THE    END. 


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Vetertnary  tSbmf 

Tufts  University 

School  of  Veterinaiy  Medicine 

200  Westboro  Rd. 

North  Grafton.  MA  01536 


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